Halsted - Life Underwater

As I am sure is the case for many of you, I typically have enough new music to listen to from artists I like and from bands recommended to me by friends that I don’t often seek out even more new music from the countless blogs that are pushing someone new every day. Every now and then there are exceptions, and I am in the right mood to check out something that wasn’t even on my radar previously. That said, I am most drawn to bands that send me links with a good concise press release and who don’t sensationalize themselves with a bunch of industry speak.

Halsted, based out of San Francisco, was a band whom I had never heard the name of, much less listened to. You know how sometimes your friend says – “hey do you like the band so & so?” And you, trying not to sound out of touch, say “I’ve heard the name, but I don’t know their music.”

Maybe that’s just what I do, for some odd reason, but I couldn’t have even said that much about Halsted. I also hadn’t heard of the previous release by the band’s principle songwriter, Ryan Auffenberg, who released a record in 2008 entitled Marigolds.

So all that roundabout description is to let you know that I basically knew zero about this band before I pressed play. Typically this situation results in listening to 45 seconds of 2-3 songs, then stopping the music, deleting the mp3s, and playing something else. As it turned out with Halsted, I liked what I heard, and before I knew it, I’d listened to the entire album a few times through. I'm still listening to the album regularly a month later.

Often a band’s first record sounds like it was made from a recipe. Songwriter: 1) writes song, 2) finds bassist, drummer, and sometimes lead guitarist, 3) records songs with band, making them sound just like they sounded before, except with bass, guitar, and drums in the background. This is not the case with Halsted. Each song on Life Underwater sounds carefully crafted and well arranged, and the influences of this band appear to be diverse. At times the band brings up impressions of Wilco or the Gin Blossoms, although the resemblance to those bands is not overpowering.

The album is strong for its duration, although the current favorite for me is "Rising Tide," a mid-paced rocker that I have to imagine sounds great live. "White Hot City Lights," "Sellout," and "Knock on Wood" are additional high points, although there is seemingly a song for every mood on this album, such that any song may emerge as a favorite depending on your situation at the time. The album's tone sound is generally upbeat and filled with strong guitar arrangements throughout. In short, I am thoroughly impressed with Halsted, and look forward to hearing the band progress, as their sound is well-developed for a first record and indicates a promising future.

Check out "Rising Tide," among other songs, on their Myspace page. Life Underwater will be released on Ashbury Records tomorrow, July 13th.

Horse Feathers – Thistled Spring

On their third LP, Thistled Spring, Horse Feathers build on the Northwestern folk of their previous two efforts, although they add a slightly fuller sound into the mix. Don’t get me wrong, the simplicity of Justin Ringle’s songs still captures your attention, but the band is bigger both literally and in sound. The once duo is now a strong four piece. This progression has probably come from the passing of time and experience on the road. For example, I saw Horse Feathers two times last year at SXSW and during both of their sets the band had to battle loud guitars from an adjacent stage. They hardly let the screeching guitars affect them and seemed to play with more fire as each song progressed.

Thistled Spring is an appropriate title for the album considering the way the songs grow with each banjo pluck and mandolin flourish. I’m not sure what part of the year the band recorded but it seems like the sun was probably shining, which as we all know is a rare occurrence in Portland. Many of the songs rely on tempo changes and crescendos to convey a sense of urgency or passion. My attention was immediately caught by the standout track, "Cascades." The song starts slowly and builds with each passing verse and vocal harmony, ending with violin and cello interplay. "Vernonia Blues" is sure to be a crowd pleaser in a live setting, allowing each of the musicians to let loose and show some folk aggression. As with their previous albums, the banjo plays a leading role in most of the songs, adding dramatics and providing the backbone when the string section takes the spotlight.

Ringle’s vocals work perfectly with Thistled Spring’s instrumentation. Soft and delicate at times, I found myself not listening to his words but taking his voice as another instrument in the ensemble. It was a nice change of pace especially as an avid folk and singer-songwriter listener who sometimes over-analyzes lyrics. The album’s closer, "Heaven’s No Place," allows Justin to really show how talented he is as a singer as he reaches a volume and octave that makes you take notice. The song is a fitting end to the album, evoking the feeling of night fall on a cool spring day.

I tend to think of bands by their regions and Horse Feathers is a great musical representation of the Northwest. Many bands and songwriters try to capture the Oregon landscape or environment but few can pull it off. Thistled Spring is a great representation of the Pacific Northwest from one of the most consistent bands the region has produced over the last few years.

Thistled Spring will be released on April 20th by Kill Rock Stars.