Wolverton
– Horse Head Dawn (Woodpile Records)
The six-track “Horse Head Dawn” EP is Wolverton’s
third release. The multi-generational San Antonio quartet (plus friends) have
already released a pair of full length albums since they formed in 2010/11, and
they show no signs of slowing down. The core players, Caralyn Snyder, Hills
Snyder, Kate Terrell and Jeremiah Teutsch came together through a series of
performances, including a gig in a huge penthouse bathroom suite (that’s Texas
for you…).
With a list of influences that includes country, folk
and jazz, together with the classic late ‘60s San Francisco groups (Grateful
Dead, Jefferson Airplane, etc.) and songwriters like Donovan and Richard
Thompson, the results were always going to hark back to earlier times, and they
don’t disappoint – though, importantly, “Horse Head Dawn” never sounds like an
exercise in nostalgia.
Acoustic instruments dominate, and lyrically, a
loose, hippy surrealism is present, which encourages the listener to pay
attention, and inevitably draws them into a world of natural sculpture, where
pop stars are replaced with newer models, and the planet warps and distorts.
Standout songs come thick and fast, especially “No Big Deal” and the elegiac “Fresh
Mint”, and the combination of boy/girl vocals, gentle melodies and heartfelt
sentiments are impossible to ignore.
Phil S.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.