You Can Take the Band out of the Woods..

Blitzen Trapper is the rambunctious counterpoint to every indie-rock snob’s favorite band, Fleet Foxes. These are the guys who crash the White Winter Hymnal campfire sing-along with cranked up speakers and a half-empty case of Milwaukee’s Best.

Now I’m not trying to write these guys off as just another loud group with guitars because while “Furr” is a rockin’ LP, it does have it’s fair share of slower more enduring songs as well. The “coming of age” track “Furr” stands out as the album’s top single and “”Black River Killer” is a haunting ballad about a doomed soul who just can’t seem to beat his demons. The rest of the album throws in some piano, steel guitars, harmonicas, a synthesizer and a mix of acoustic and distortion riffs leaving you with an eclectic brew of southern rock, alt-country and blues-influenced tunes.

So if the mixture of blazing guitars, country-nuances and throwback lyrics sounds appealing to you check out Blitzen Trapper. They’re a modern Lynyrd Skynyrd but with a few more theatrics. And coming out of Portland, Oregon, these guys definitely know their way around an axe. On the other hand if you’re more into deep-woods chanting and bird-watching, then I recommend you retire to the pond  with an ipod full of Fleet Foxes and Henry David Thoreau audiobooks.

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