Blitzen Trapper
'Black River Killer EP'
Released on 24 August 2009 on Sub Pop
Soon to join Wilco and Fleet Foxes on their respective jaunts, Oregon sextet Blitzen Trapper will do their UK fanbase levels no harm at all should they play some, if not all, of `Black River Killer`. With seven tracks spanning nine years (many of these songs have only ever been available on CD-R from the band`s earlier shows) it builds into a solid collection, far-reaching in sound and brimming with quality.
The title track is a wonderful slice of jailhouse rock with a decidely P-Funk groove, somehow transposing Ice Cube to the Old West. Having already featured on last year`s album `Furr`, it is possibly most representative of the Blitzen Trapper sound at this time. However, the other six `career highlights` offer an insight into what those of us just joining the hunting party have missed. `Going Down` is evocative of `Apostrophe`-era Frank Zappa while `Big Black Bird` couples the alt.country twang of Wilco with the classic smooth rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Mournful ballad `Shoulder Full of You`, however, is a complete departure with lyrics such as `tear tracks on an unmade bed...like a crow that`s lost its sight`. It`s the perfect remedy to the bacon `n` beans (yet undeniably great) country sounds of `Big Black Bird`.
Although essentially a single release from `Furr` and probably designed to help shift units of their previous long player, the greatest criticism you can attribute to `Black River Killer` is that it`s simply too short. Even for the mid-price range, the running time is rather quick due to most tracks running at under two an a half minutes. Few would grudge parting with a quid or two more for a more inclusive document of this great band`s nine year anonymity.
Posted on 24 August 2009 by Richard Brown
Tags:
Blitzen Trapper
Black River Killer EP
Album Review
Alt.Country
Share this news item:
 Digg |
 Facebook |
 StumbleUpon |
 Del.icio.us |
 Reddit |
Post a Comment
