Blitzen Trapper : Furr

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/blitzentrapperfurr.jpg" alt=" " />After three self-released albums, Blitzen Trapper put their latest effort out through Sub Pop. ...
Blitzen Trapper - Furr
8.6 Sub Pop
2008 

 After three self-released albums, Blitzen Trapper put their latest effort out through Sub Pop. Thank goodness.  Furr deserves the biggest distribution as can be afforded to it.  Country-fied rock hasn’t been this solid in a long time, and the sextet mixes in celestial effects and calm smoothness with ear-opening skill.  

The Portland-based band lets it all hang out on Furr, and delivers an album that ranges from bouncing jamboree highs to quiet, starlit lows.   The first track, "Sleepytime in the Western World" is a squelching, sing-a-long stomp that immediately infuses superb energy.  The array of dimensions on Furr kicks in shortly afterwards as the title track is a cabin-porch acoustic bounce featuring a clever harmonica and the piano-led soft funk of "Saturday Nite" has an uncanny ’70s throwback melody.  Even the jagged chaos on "Love U" simply grabs the listener by the collar.  

On its softer side, Furr is no less compelling.  "Not Your Lover" is one of the year’s best piano/vocal combinations; it beckons pure moonlight.  The acoustic/slide guitar combo on "Stolen Shoes & A Rifle" brings out the best of old school Nashville.  The string-picking on the final track, "Lady On The Water", makes for an exquisite finish to a loose, but complex, album.

Furr is an absolute gem as it delivers the best of ’70s rock, and could easily be mistaken for an album recorded 30+ years ago.  It’s essentially a modern-day throwback classic.

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