Thistled Spring by Horse Feathers
LABEL: Kill Rock Stars  |||  RELEASE: April 20th, 2010

Somewhere between rustic chamber orchestras, indie rock searching for its roots and the somber folk music of the Western United States rests Thistled Spring, an aural curiosity that Justin Ringle and his small troupe of acoustic troubadours have created for 2010. While reaching far into the aged canon of Americana for its rich sonic palette, Horse Feathers have made an album that sounds young and rejuvenated, standing on a level all its own.

“As the songs settle further into your consciousness, however, it becomes obvious that the songwriting style and dynamics of each piece are just as informed by rock and blues, creating climaxes and dramatic tension not usually found in the younger generation of folk musicians”

First listens always tend to be deceiving, and Horse Feathers have built a difficult vehicle for us to get into hidden behind a minimalist veneer. The ear is at first drawn towards the guitar, banjo, mandolin, and may then be tempted to draw parallels to contemporary up-and-coming folk musicians like Old Crow Medicine Show. As the songs settle further into your consciousness, however, it becomes obvious that the songwriting style and dynamics of each piece are just as informed by rock and blues, creating climaxes and dramatic tension not usually found in the younger generation of folk musicians attempting to emulate their stalwart predecessors (the latter section of "Cascade" is heart-dropping).

As the album progresses, it's hard not to draw comparisons between these more pronounced passages and acts like Screaming Trees and The Magnetic Fields, all the while never sacrificing Thistled Spring's vision for easy electrics. Elegant use of strings and piano lines are interwoven into the album, adding a further layer to the music that recalls moments of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Ringle's airy and reserved vocals are still obviously trying to find their place in this strikingly new medium Horse Feathers are pushing towards, but they add a further blurring, contemporary reference to the album, avoiding the dangerous area of rustic mimicry.

“There is something very special and very powerful wrapped within the album, and it more than deserves the repeated listening required to appreciate all the facets at work.”

While not drenched in Morissey-style depression, the album is a slow, soft reflection of abundant melancholy that doesn't tend to stray far. It's subtlety stated and remains powerful in its simplicity. This careful formula is arguably compromised by its production, which feels far too glossy and compressed to really push the intimate spirit Thistled Spring is creating so well with its arrangements. Most of the album's most distinct moments occur from track four onwards, and while the first three stand well individually, their similarity to each other make them less special consumed as a whole.

Perhaps this works its way into the overall trend of the album, which is that you always need to listen deeper, further. There is something very special and very powerful wrapped within the album, and it more than deserves the repeated listening required to appreciate all the facets at work. Horse Feathers have made a wise decision in adding the extra instrumentation for this album and it will be exciting to see where their road leads them in the future.


REVIEWED BY NEIL LEVENS
NEIL'S FAVORITE TRACKS: "Cascades" • "The Drought" • "The Widower"