2009-08-08
This is the second album from the San Francisco seven-piece outfit, Or, the Whale. I find it to be a bit more "countryfied" than their first album, "Light Poles and Pines". This album of sometimes rocking, folk-country does have some good things to offer, such as nice production and vocal harmonies. Besides your basic guitar, drums, and vocals, Or, the Whale's brand of Americana also features dobro, pedal steel guitar and banjo. Most of the songs here are somewhat Starland Vocal Band-sounding in their country-pop harmonies. The more rocking songs are the album opener, "No Love Blues", the haunting "Keep Me Up", and the Jefferson Airplane-ish "Black Rabbit". Rebecca RuthPETE BERNHARD
Straight Line
THE LUMINEERS
The Lumineers
COWBOY JUNKIES
Long Journey Home
BRUCE COCKBURN
Small Source of Comfort
JAY FARRAR/BENJAMIN GIBBARD
One Fast Move or I'm Gone
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Keep the Light Alive: Celebrating the Music of Lowen and Navarro
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