The new Blitzen Trapper album, which came out a few weeks ago, might just be the best album of 2008. No, this is not a joke. It is seriously amazing. I've always thought they were pretty good, and I was a big fan of Wild Mountain Nation, but on Furr they've taken huge leaps forward in terms of consistency and style. Better production, better variety, better pacing, better lyrics. They're daring to sound almost normal on some tracks - I know, most bands don't dare to sound normal, but then again BT is not a normal band. And most importantly, every song is astoundingly good, stuffed with hooks but never predictable. Have a listen:
Gold For Bread - Blitzen Trapper
From Furr (2008)
This song is Beck meets Lynyrd Skynyrd, and is just intensely, deliriously delightful. It's like they took three really good songs and proceeded to smush all of them together in one crazy schizophrenic package. Favorite parts: that amazing lead guitar tone, the twittering synths, the bits where he sings falsetto, and of course the hilarious nonsense lyrics.
Furr - Blitzen Trapper
The lead single, straight up Dylan pastiche. But it's stunning! Spare and simple, lovely melody, and words that actually carry a message and sound good doing it. First rate. If this band ever break through, it'll be on the strength of this one, and it will be fully deserved.
Saturday Nite - Blitzen Trapper
Tricks you into thinking it's a throwaway until you listen again and hear the 3 bajillion catchy parts squeezed into its meager two minutes (the last half of which is a completely untouchable outro). Goofy fun. I might even regret saying this, but this song reminds me, of all things, of STEELY DAN, Pretzel Logic-era. Not in terms of tone, obviously, but - the keybords, the major 7th chords, the brilliant pivots in terms of song structure, the ultra-smooth clavinet solo in the middle, the agility and accuracy of the sound. I don't know, maybe it's just me. Decide for yourself.
Tuesday, October 7
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