Rising New York City songwriter Christopher Paul Stelling has announced the details of his long-awaited debut album, Songs of Praise & Scorn, which will see a release on February 21st via Brooklyn imprint Mecca Lecca Recording Co. He's also sharing the first single, "Mourning Train To Memphis," which is available as a free MP3 via the CPS bandcamp page. Songs of Praise & Scorn was recorded, mostly live, this past summer above a working funeral home in Louisville, KY.The album features backing vocals from Julia Christgau and violin accompaniment by Louisville’s own Cheyenne Marie Mize. Christopher’s burgeoning notoriety around the Northeast was born from his countless live performances over the last three years. His shows range from whisper-quiet, to a wall of sound through his expertly finger-picked guitar melodies, incendiary howling vocals, and foot stomps set against his signature storytelling, which conjures up a vast and alluring palette of unearthly yet organic imagery. Having graced the stages of a hugely diverse gamut of venues, both small and large, on the reputation of his live performance alone, this record is sure to confirm his place among today’s most vital and relevant songwriters. If you’d like to see CPS in his element, check out this great live performance video of “Mourning Train to Memphis” from Sleepovershows.com. For more info on CPS, click HERE