New Wax
I've quite inadvertently established a blog with an affinity for alt.country/folk music (although if you pay close enough attention, there's a pretty varied soundscape represented here), and admittedly, I've a weak spot for sparsely arranged folk songs, no matter how vilified the burgeoning genre has become as of late. Granted, not everyone who can play a few rustic acoustic guitar chords or clumsily pluck a mandolin deserves to be praised, but running this blog has opened my eyes to a wealth of impressive folk music out there. And here's another nice folk album, so deal with it. With a nautical theme running throughout their self-titled debut, Portland's The Battle Of Land And Sea is a folk duo comprised of Sarah O'Shura (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Joshua Canny (electric guitar, banjo). For comparison's sake, O'Shura's vocals are reminiscent of earlier Cat Power, and with simplistic acoustic guitar and nuanced electric guitar, the band sounds quite a bit like Mazzy Star. The Battle Of Land And Sea exhibits the same "vinyl on cd" aesthetic of artists like Elliott Smith and Iron & Wine. Produced by Jacob Golden, who is a fine solo artist in his own right (check out Revenge Songs, you'll love it), the debut album sounds purposely worn and and the roughness really adds character to the songs. Melancholy female vocals + sparse folk arrangements = awesome. -- Capt. Obvious
