Hello! And some Furr.

So I’m Hannah, the other blogger that’s supposed to make the “we” in “We Like It.” Up until now, I’ve just been crashing on Daniel’s couch, periodically promising to post something, but now, hopefully I’m here to stick around for a while.

I’m not sure where my love for Blitzen Trapper falls in the “Best of” lists, but it certainly deserves a place in this blog—more specifically, their fourth full-length album, Furr. The first song I heard from this album was “Black River Killer,” a gothic ballad about the ebb and flow between a murderer and a sheriff. Many describe vocalist Eric Earley’s voice as Dylan-esque. Personally, I love Dylan’s music, but his voice grates on my nerves, so in my book, Earley has set himself apart from our American hero. His voice has the same earnest feeling behind it that made Dylan so lovable, but his deep, folk-y tone is full and sensual. So when I first listened to “Black River Killer,” I hardly noticed the dark lyrics in the ballad; instead, I was captured by his simple melody and emotive voice.

Since listening to that first song, this album has stayed close to my heart. Unlike many full-length albums, Blitzen Trapper wasted no space on filler. This album is impeccably produced, and represents each band member’s individual passion and skill – the sextet uses keyboards, banjos, harmonicas, washboards and a spattering of unconventional instruments to fill-out their melodies.

Their previous album, Wild Mountain Nation, was filled schizophrenic collections of synth- and country-based tracks that could never settle on a genre or sometimes even melody (Don’t worry, I’m not knocking it. “Wild Mountain Nation” and “Sci-Fi Kid” are still some of my favorite Blitzen Trapper tracks, but damn was that album hard to follow.) In Furr, Blitzen Trapper found a home somewhere between Folk-Country, Americana, and the Portland-Indie Rock scene where the band found its legs. “Gold for Bread” and “Saturday Nite” will both make you want to pull on some skinny jeans and some Ray-Bans along side some cowboy boots and an American flag t-shirt.

But underneath all of this, the album has stayed with me because it never fails to make you feel it. Earley’s vocals get under your skin, and his lyrics invite you on an adventure. You’re never quite certain where the adventure will take you, but by the end of the album, you figure it must have been worth it, ‘cause you feel so damn good.

P.S. Blitzen Trapper just released a new album, Destroyer of the Void, (Yay!) but I don't know it well enough to post about it yet. More to come!