OR, THE WHALE

Self-Titled

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 Ruth

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Folk

  • reviewed 05/2006

    Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris
    All The Roadrunning

  • reviewed 03/2012

    TRUCKSTOP HONEYMOON
    Steamboat in a Cornfield

  • reviewed 05/2010

    NATHAN KALISH
    Delicate Veins

  • reviewed 04/2017

    Kenny George Band
    Borrowed Trouble

  • reviewed 12/2010

    BOB DYLAN
    The Best of the Original Mono Recordings

  • reviewed 05/2004

    Kate Jacobs
    You Call That Dark

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.