Radio Free Chicago

Gun Lake emerges from winter's mist with Balfour

It took a little longer than initially expected, but Ann Arbor quartet Gun Lake has finally released their debut album, Balfour, to the eager ears that fell in love with lead single “Cliffhanger” last November. And it was definitely worth the wait.

Since I last wrote here about Gun Lake, the band retooled its lineup a bit to include bassist Ben Collins along with the roster of lead singer/guitarist Mark Fain, guitarist/keyboardist Ryan O’Reilly and drummer Max Monson (the bass tracks heard on the album remain by former bassist Matt Roney). Together they infuse a magnificent richness into Fain’s songs, their vocal harmonies carrying the music just as strongly as the instrumentation. It speaks to their combined skills that of all the artists I’ve ever mass-recommended to people I know, I’ve never seen so many actually take my advice as they have for Gun Lake. Not only does Fain write music that is effectively flawless, but there’s a stunning diversity in its reach. All types of music fans can’t seem to resist sipping from this folk-pop grail.

“Cliffhanger” has been refined for the album, ushering in softer vocal layers than what we heard in November. Balfour’s minor notes combine for light melodies, bittersweet, like a field of brilliantly hued flowers blooming beneath a gray sky. Fain’s lyrics are fraught with drama, emotionally deep and at times cutting. In the nimble woodland waltz, “Trees,” he sings “Spring was just a lie/ the warmth never came” followed in a later verse with “My wishes a waste/ And you don’t want a taste/ Of what we promised ourselves.” The pain of romance is aptly conveyed in Fain’s words. It reaches the pinnacle of clarity during “Backwards” (which showcases perhaps the album’s most stunning bass line) as he cries out simply “I can’t do this anymore.”

Gun Lake - Backwards

Gun Lake’s music is so uniformly beautiful, it’s hard to pick a favorite song. One moment,  you’re finding yourself enamored with the imagery of “Stormy Country,” the next, you’re dying over every sweet note of “I Gave Enough,” and later still you may reel over the delectable drums thudding through “June.” This is why Balfour succeeds so strongly as an album.

But you’ll probably find me getting lost in “Time Again” more than anything. The multiple vocals become an orchestra in themselves, adorned elegantly by their instruments. “Time Again” rises gradually, from a gentle opening to a brisk end, imploring “Don’t you remember who I am?/ I remember you.” At the very least, it’s clear Fain’s made a record that no one will be forgetting anytime soon ever.

RFC Reviews... The Weeknd - House of Balloons!

The Weeknd is one of those artists that seemingly came out of nowhere and in the blink of an eye was running the blogosphere. And in this particular case, I think that anything less would have been a crime. The Weeknd's sparse, creeping "What You Need" is a great intro to the artist, twenty year old Abel Tesfaye. The song sounds at first like it's gonna be a post-Burial dubstep ballad, but turns into something more along the lines of Drake's oeuvre. Indeed, The Weeknd and the current prince of pop rap are buddies! Which makes sense, because Tesfaye takes many of Drake's hallmarks and elevates them to the next level. House of Balloons is full of moody explorations of young wealth and love (or rather, a staggering lackthereof). All of Tesfaye's come-ons have an element of darkness to them- he's a much badder boy than Drake. And a better singer!

The Weeknd - What You Need

The production here too reaches heights that are largely unprecedented in R&B. The Siouxsie & the Banshees sampling title track feels as deliriously high as it intends to be, "The Morning" is dreamy and decadent, and "Coming Down" feels in mood and texture like a genuine heir to Timbaland's late-90s R&B perfection. Much of it reads as a continuation of the style that Drake's in-house producer 40 has been nourishing the past few years, a passing of the baton. It retains the airy futuristic synths of 40's work, but with a discernible affection toward the past (as Tesfaye moans the refrain "bring the 707 out" toward the end of "Glass Table Girls," referencing the old school drum machine prevalent throughout the mixtape). "Wicked Games" is an anthemic reverbed out dirge that sounds like it could have snuggled up brilliantly between En Vogue and Tevin Campbell on the soundtrack for some movie that probably has a mid-twenties Vivica Fox in it*. It feels uncannily like appreciating the entirety of the last 30 years of soul music at once.

The Weeknd - Wicked Games

Oh, except with a higher than normal amount of (possibly self-aware?) post-modern dread and decadence. Did I say decadent yet? This mixtape is decadent as fuck.

*and at least one cast member of A Different World

Sort of Different Strokes, But Not Too Different

If you’re anything like me, (and I sincerely hope you’re not because I’m terrible), you’ve been waiting a long time to hear from The Strokes again.  Seriously, it feels like it’s been forever since their most recent album, First Impressions of the Earth, was released.  Oh, right, that’s because it HAS been forever!  It’s okay though because after a lengthy five year hiatus The Strokes are finally back and better than ever!

The band’s newest album, Angles, was released just a couple of weeks ago and is definitely worth checking into.  Angles adds a little bit of an upbeat energy to the bands usual brand of grungy garage rock coupled with Julian Casablancas’ distinct, shadowy vocals.  It becomes clear very early in the album that the band has made a few changes.

The album begins on a very strong note with, “Machu Picchu”, a song that possesses a vaguely reggae sound mixed with The Strokes’ unique rock style.  This is the perfect opening track because it draws the listener in and essentially forces them to listen to the rest of the album.

The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness

From “Machu Picchu”, we transition into the album’s first single, “Under the Cover of Darkness”.  This is one of those tracks that you cannot help but dance to.  It has a fun, cheerful sort of rhythm, and a beat that makes it almost impossible to stand still.  It’s one of those unbelievably catchy songs that can get stuck in your head for days no matter how hard you try to replace it with something else.

Q&A with Zelienople... RFC Thinks You Should Know

 

I went to see Zelienople play at the Abbey Pub ... And needless to say their music is as challenging as it is breathtaking. I asked the Chicago-based band a few questions, and here is what Mike (Percussionist) had to say:

First question ... Most important, is why?

Mike: Because it feels good.

Now for the safe word …

Mike: To keep from sinking into a sludge of depression and self-loathing.

Favorite/least favorite cheese? (for the cheese-enthusiast)

Mike: Whatever’s being offered (I’m an omnivore, or rather a scavenger).

Robots or Dinosaurs?

Mike: Dino-bots

Strangest venue or gig you’ve ever played?

Mike: Hmm, don’t really have one. Maybe Monkeytown in Brooklyn where we were placed in the center of a room where people were dining. I somewhat felt like I was intruding. Very Kubrick-esque.

How did you begin your career and who were your influences?

Mike: Career? My influences are too vast and wide to mention on one page. Let’s just say from Sun Ra to Roscoe Holcomb - Kim Seok Chul to Slayer - Haitian Voodoo Drumming to Led Zeppelin - Brian Eno to Merzbow.

What is the most memorable concert you’ve ever attended?

Mike: Master Musicians of Joujaka at The Vic in '95 and Slayer at Aragon Ballroom in 2006 ... oh, and most definitely my very first show - Echo and the Bunnymen and New Order at Poplar Creek in '87.

What are a few items essential to your “tour survival kit”?

Mike: Mallets, small gongs, wire brushes and a baby sock for the kick drum beater.

What are you listening to now?

Mike: Korean Shaman music (Chae Jeong-Rye).

What is the worst advice you’ve ever been given?

Mike: Take lessons before you attempt to play the drum set.

If you were to communicate using one word what would it be?

Mike: Transcendence.

Can you dance? If not what is your day job?

Mike: I call it dancing, but to others it may look like an epileptic fit.

What can we expect from the band in the future?

Mike: Another song-based album on Type, another conceptual instrumental album on Under The Spire, a solo album from Matt on Under The Spire, and a solo album from myself on Digitalis. Maybe another Tuma/Weis album too.

Anything else you want the people to know? Or not to know?

Mike: We’re old dudes with families and we don’t venture out into the night very often.

 

All I Want Is Calm

from their album Give it Up

Portland's The Woodlands Give It Away

Chances are that there was one album that landed on both Amber and Abby's favorite albums of 2010 list that you hadn't heard of and that album was by the lovliest duo on the west coast, The Woodlands. Abby raved about their album, as did I over at Mezzic, and the consensus was that The Woodlands make the music that dreams are made of. Gentle and melodic, The Woodlands makes the kind of music that makes you want to fall in love, even if love hasn't been so kind to you in the past. Their debut self-titled release is the audible equivilant of rose colored glasses and well worth than $10 it'd take to procure it over at the band's bandcamp.

Now, just because The Woodlands are just that nice, the duo has made their recent remix album, Heavy Hands, availible for the unbeatable price of free! Snag it here!

The Woodlands - Anymore (Heavy Hands Remix)

While it is occasionally jolting to hear The Woodlands songs that I'm so used to hearing at acoustic lullabys now peppered with heavy bass and beats that wouldn't be out of place at a sweat-laden dance party populated with PBR-swilling hipsters clad in the skinniest of jeans and the highest wasted of skirts, the loveliness of songs like "Until The Day Dims" and "Can We Stay" shine through in any capacity. That versatility is perhaps one of The Woodlands best qualities and it isn't hard to imagine "Anymore", the EP's standout remix, sandwiched on a party mix in between... Well... Whatever it is that hip kids that like dance music listen to these days. To be completely honest, I'm clueless. But regardless of what that music might be, I bet The Woodlands remixes would go very well with it!

RFC Reviews: Childish Gambino - EP

You probably know him as Troy Barnes from the NBC comedy series "Community," but the very funny and endearing Donald Glover also goes by another name: Childish Gambino.

He's actually been rapping under the moniker since 2008 and has released three studio albums, all available for free download. Check his 2010 effort, culdesac, right here.

You may be thinking that Glover is the full package ... at least that's what I'm thinking. Well, this package recently wrapped up a brand new five-song EP and has hand-delivered it to his devoted online community.

It's a tight collection of rhythms and beats that shows a different side of Donald than the goof we see on TV. EP opens with "Be Alone," with lyrics that deal with real (not silly) emotions: "You are the bestest, I will obey you/ These words I wrote for you when you were fucking other dudes/ The only thing I need from you now is some solitude."

 

"Freaks and Geeks" runs on handclaps while Glover drops some delicious pop culture rhymes. His swagger falls heavy on "My Shine," and picks up some dance grooves for "Lights Turned On." Swedish singer Beldina Malaika appears on EP's final track, "Not Going Back."

If the EP were available for sale, I'd urge you to purchase it. But seeing as it's free, I will come over and poke you in the head if you do not download this.

He'll actually be hitting up the Midwest for his latest tour, blending comedy and music for the all-around Donald Glover experience. Dates include an appearance May 17 at the Magic Stick in Detroit and May 18 at Park West in Chicago.

An RFC Mix: Songs to Make You Want to Rip Your Hair Out

I don’t know about you, but I personally have never been too great at relationships. For whatever  reason, things have just never worked out long term for me. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of “relationships” and/or “flings,” if you will, but I always find myself bored sometime within the first couple of months. I’m really not too bothered by this fact; however, we all know that it’s nice to have someone to keep us warm at night every now and then.

When I get into one of those “I really need a man” sort of moods, there are certain songs that are always there to make me want to commit a slow and painful suicide. Not really, obviously, but I think most people can probably relate to what I’m trying to say here. The fact is relationships just flat out suck. I don’t care if you’ve been in a relationship with the same person for five years; they still suck most of the time.

I’ve been doing a lot of reevaluation in regards to my so-called “love life” as of late and I’ve come to the realization that … well, I honestly haven’t figured anything out. I still don’t know what the hell I’m doing 90% of the time and I have absolutely no idea what exactly I want. What I do know, however, is that when I hear all of these cute songs, it makes me wish I had someone to think about while listening to them. 

Despite their excruciatingly depressing nature, everyone loves a good “sappy love song.” It’s like we’re drawn to them, regardless of how awful they can make us feel  because they describe in such perfect detail the kind of relationship that each and every one of us wants more than anything else in the world. And that, my dear friends, is just straight-up science.

 Songs to Make You Want to Rip Your Hair out

An RFC Mix

Patrick Park - Your Smile's A Drug

"When you say you're in love, you just sound like you're giving up."

The Dear Hunter - Where the Road Parts

"You were the only one that didn’t fold."

Daytrotter Prepares To Barnstrom Once More!

It's no secret that we here at RFC are huge fans of Daytrotter, the internet's best music discovery tool. Nary a week goes by that we don't link to something amazing they did and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only RFC-er that has a Daytrotter sticker proudly placed on the bumper of her car. If you trolled around RFC during the summer, you might remember the massive coverage we gave to Daytrotter's Barn on the 4th of July, a concert that saw Sean Moeller and the rest of the Horseshack's champions of music return to Codfish Hollow, one of DT's frequent Barnstorming stops, with acts like Dawes and the Walkmen in tow. Well, it's time to get excited again because it was recently announced that Daytrotter's 4th Barnstormer is mere weeks away! With acts like Sondre Lerche, Guards, The Romany Rye, Hellogoodbye, and the ultra-lovely Keegan Dewitt, this barnstormer promises to be bigger and barnstormier than ever and this time around the Daytrotter crew will be hitting some brand new barns, right outside of Chicago and Ann Arbor, Michigan! Check out the full schedule below, but first, listen to some Keegan Dewitt, won't you?

 

Keegan Dewitt - Nothing Shows

 

Daytrotter Presents... Barnstormer 4

April 26th - Free Range Film Festival Barn
909 County Road 4, Wrenshall, MN

April 27th - Hoosier Grove Barn
700 W. Irving Park Rd., Streamwood, IL

April 28th - Lakeview Farms Barn
12075 Island Lake Rd., Dexter, MI

April 29th - Kalyx Center
442 E. 1300 North Rd., Monticello, IL

April 30th - Codfish Hollow Barn
3437 288th Ave, Maquoketa, IA

Get your tickets for the 'stormer at Daytrotter.com and don't forget to check out sessions by each of Barnstormer 4's incomprable artists: Sondre Lerche, Keegan Dewitt (who was so lovely, the Horseshack had him back for an encore), Hellogoodbye, and The Romany Rye!

RFC Thinks You Should Know... The Island of Misfit Toys!

The Island of Misfit Toys are an indie rock writer's dream: young as fuck, scrappy as fuck, ambitious as fuck, midwest as fuck, with plenty of genetic touchstones to throw around for when you're feeling lazy. TIoMT is the brainchild of 19 year old brainchild Anthony Sanders. If you actively miss the heyday of Chicago's indie rock dominance (or were born in the 90's and pretend to), and/or just like well crafted songs chances are you'll find a lot to love here.

Like most prodigies, Sanders has been watching closely: he uses all the tricks in the book but they feel so intuitive and well-executed that it's still ultra exhilarating to watch. "Beginnings of a Beard," a song off their upcoming debut Bear Hair, starts off as a pretty straight indie rock homage to an Oaklandazulasylum era Why? song- distorted heavy backbeat, hallucinatory musings, not-really-sung but not-really-spoken vocals. Then at a certain point (SPOILER ALERT), the lingering organ dies out, and the guitars come to life. Sanders goes into young rock star mode, tumbling through an ecstatic monologue as the songs threatens to explode into some insane post-rock climax. Opting to hover tantalizingly instead, the song doesn't explode. Sanders cuts the cord, and puts the cards back in his deck.

Sanders' writing and delivery often sounds like that of a kid who used to be in emo punk bands who graduated to twee punk just as his horns began to sprout. The existence of Los Campesinos! makes this transition much easier: Sanders gets to keep all the naked emoting, sardonicism, and bleak romantics, but fused with more complicated songcraft and much lusher instrumentation. Maybe that's the natural order of things! It feels good!

TIoMT has all the elements and reach of a complete package. It's self-effacing, but it's not afraid to triumph. The songs focus on the little details, but while trying to change your life. If TIoMT kept it's current form, it would still be a excellent listen. But Sanders is so young and so clearly hungry, that it's as much what is already on the table as it what's being hinted at that makes this project so excting.

The Island of Misfit Toys - Hermit Crab

The Island of Misfit Toys will be playing with Water House and Yukon Blonde on April 10th at The Beat Kitchen.

Thao & Mirah Spread the Love!

Thao Nyugen by herself is a beast. Mirah solo dolo is a force to be reckoned with. Together, they spell utter annihilation for any emotions not named "Happiness" or "Woo!" And well, when Thao, Mirah, AND tUnE-YaRds get together: "Eleven" happens and you get an insta-jam of 2011.

Thao & Mirah - Eleven [ft. tUnE-YaRds]

The Thao & Mirah album (titled, Thao & Mirah) will be out via Kill Rock Stars on April 26th. Until then, you can bounce around and hug the ones you love to "Eleven" and swoon to this super lovely little video featuring another track from the upcoming album, the Thao-penned "How Dare You."

 

 

Joy! Spring is almost here, everyone! Joy!

 

 

Will Sheff, Daniel Johnston, Bill Callahan & More Join Brian Beattie's "Ivy And The Wicker Suitcase"

It's no secret that Okkervil River's Will Sheff has taken part in some of this fledgling decades most brilliant concept albums. His band, after all, has been the main purveyors of concept albums in recent years with Black Sheep Boy, The Stage Names, and The Stand Ins, three records that each show impressive and cinematic narrative skills, being released back to back. Taking this into consideration, it's not exactly unexpected to learn that Sheff is taking part in Brian Beattie's forthcoming musical, Ivy and the Wicker Suitcase, but that doesn't mean it's any less exciting, especially when you consider what a champ cast Beattie has cast Sheff alongside.

Apparently, Ivy and The Wicker Suitcase is an "epic musical audio drama wrapped inside a fully illustrated book", the likes of which would make Anais Mitchell's Hadestown look like child's play. According to the Kickstarter (more about that later!), "The story is based in Austin, Tx., in 1938. The first day of summer vacation. Hidden away down in her favorite creek, 10 year old Ivy Wire sits with her battered guitar singing to the birds and the trees. Suddenly the sky darkens and she follows a mockingbird into a nearby cave. She hears a monstrous roar and sees a tumbling wall of muddy water rushing towards her. 'FLASH FLOOD!!'. She barely escapes by scampering into a hole, but she immediately starts plunging into darkness. Thus begins her descent into the Underworld."

Ivy and The Wicker Suitcase features the legendary Daniel Johnston as the Lord of the Underworld, Bill "Smog" Callahan as a God-like diety, and the love of my life, the aforementioned Sheff, as the "chief admissions officer of the eternal incarceration system".

Daniel Johnston - Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your

Okkervil River featuring Daniel Johnston - Happy Hearts

The more astute amongst you might have noticed that I mentioned the phrase "Kickstarter" up there and you know what that means - Beattie needs your help! The cast of Ivy and The Wicker Suitcase is attempting to raise a hefty ten grand in the next twenty five days. Now, I can't imagine there's any lack of people wanting to toss a few bucks to hear Johnston warble away as Satan while Callahan's seductive croon makes ladies everywhere want to get to know Ivy's Christ-figure just a little bit more personally, but $10,000 is quite the sum to raise. Given the fact that a mere $10 will snag you a sweet poster of some of Ivy's fantastical artwork, it'd be a shame not to give to Beattie and company. Honestly, if you only back one Kickstarter this year, you should probably make it that of Ivy and The Wicker Suitcase if only for the fact that a project as ambitious as this is either going to be a trainwreck they'll be talking about for ages or a epically breathtaking masterpiece. Either way, the results will be noteworthy!

What are you waiting for? Pledge away!

The Builders and The Butchers bring folk rock to Schubas Tavern

Portland, OR band The Builders and the Butchers will be joined by Florida natives, Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets and Toronto, Ontartio, Canada's Elliott BROOD on Tuesday April 5 at Schubas Tavern. Having been on tour non-stop for the past three years, The Builders and The Butchers bring you their latest Album, Dead Reckoning released last month on Badman Recording Co. The transformation from five years ago when synchronistically these five men came together as bands all around them were breaking up, is mesmerizing. Starting out performing in the streets of Portland in front of several music venues they called themselves "The Funeral Band". Now a complete mature band they bring a variety of musical instruments (melodica, mandolin, and banjo) along with drums, guitar and trumpet to create a west coast folk rock sound. The Builders and the Butchers will transform your sense of typical folk rock. 

 

 

Barcelona

 

The Builders and The Butchers with Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets and Elliott BROOD, Tuesday April 5 at Schubas Tavern. Tickets are $10, show starts at 9 p.m.

 

Timber Timbre Creeps On

It's no secret that RFC's EIC, Amber Valentine, has an intense love for Timber Timbre, the macabre project of Canada's Taylor Kirk. I was already feverently anticipating the many great releases that will pepper the months as 2011 soldiers on when it was announced that Timber Timbre would be returning with a follow up to their 2009 self-titled masterpiece but with that news, my excitement for the coming year grew infinitely. With the unveiling of the first release off of 2011's cleverly titled Creep On Creepin' On, "Black Water", my anticipation reached an all-out fever pitch-fueled obsession, orchestarted by Kirk's latest doo-wop inspired tune so it's needless to say that when I found a copy of Creep On Creepin' On waiting in my inbox for review a week or so ago, I listened to it immeadiately... And when it was over, I listened to it again. And again. And promptly, passionately, reviewed it for sister site Mezzic.

What did I think of Timber Timbre's latest?

"The unnerving elements that were Kirk’s signature on Timber Timbre’s past three releases are still present on Creep On Creepin’ On, particularly on opening track 'Bad Ritual', a song that finds Kirk singing of a 'levitating chair' and the 'poltergeist presence in the frame of the bed', set to a backdrop of otherworldly 'oh's and echoed handclaps. 'Bad Ritual' sets you up for a record not unlike the work Timber Timbre has unveiled in the past but as the album progresses, it becomes evident that Timber Timbre has not only advanced their sounds, but their themes as well.

Timber Timbre - Bad Ritual

Creep On Creepin’ On is still a Timber Timbre record, through and through. Instrumental second track 'Obelisk' is anchored with high-pitched violins that recall a Hitchockian aura. 'Too Old To Die Young' haunts with echoing percussion. Later on, 'Do I Have Power' spins a web of seduction as Kirk’s impossibly smooth and eerie vocals are haunted by an aura of auto-harp before dissolving into a saxophone driven jazz-horror nightmare that Danny Elfman wishes he’d composed for a Tim Burton film. Elsewhere on the record, however, tracks like 'Creep On Creepin’ On' and lead single 'Black Water' expose a sunnier side of Kirk musically, drawing heavy influence from Motown and doo wop, reminiscent of Sam Cooke at Halloween. Even the more unnerving qualities of the aforementioned 'Too Old To Die Young' find themselves sharing the stage with an upbeat tempo, with precise guitar searing, before the song morphs into a romantic ballad of loss, violins swelling as Kirk 'burns his bridges', telling the object of his askew desires that he 'won’t come creepin’ to your cross'."

 

Take a gander at Mezzic for all 1,200 words of Amber's ode to Timber Timbre and pick up a copy of Creep On Creepin' On at your earliest conveinience.While you're at it, keep an eye out right here at Radio Free Chicago for Abby's forthcoming take on Timber Timbre's latest LP before the band hits Chicago and Evanston in May - Just in time for Amber's birthday! Fancy that!

RFC Thinks You Should Know... Love Inks

Self-recorded music is all the rage these days (much like happiness ... sorry, Davey von Bohlen reference). While some artists jump into recording without a clear picture of what they want to create, Austin's Love Inks' upcoming album, E.S.P., is a precise example of harnassing self-recordings with a vision. An old drum machine loops over dream pop electric guitar and bass, all as the lush yet serene voice of Sherry LeBlanc floats through you. The first single, "Blackeye," is a minimalist Best Coast, with Sherry's wonderful singing beckoning forth like a bird singing, then being freed from a stripped down cage of drum machine beats and bright, muffled guitar. Even though Love Inks uses a drum machine, it has a peculiar warmth through and through, emblematic of "Blackeye."

Love Inks - Blackeye

Keep your ears peeled for this Texas trio as the spring thaw leads to summer breezes. E.S.P. comes out May 10th. Already I've been taken, and am now forgetting the perils of this past winter thanks to this three-piece. Most importantly, they're starting to subconsciously convince me to move slowly towards more and more dream pop, unlike many of the predecessors.

Hurrah! A Bolt Of Light! Makes A Grand Entrance With 'Hello!'

One of the greatest bands of all time came and went in the course of a few years, and it’s more than likely that you completely missed it. New York indie-rock quartet Paper and Sand produced the kind of music that you’d shell out a kidney for if it came to that.

Paper and Sand - The Cruelest Joke

The band self-released two full-length albums: Wolf at My Door (2007) and Thick as Thieves (2009). Not long after they split up in 2009, guitarist/vocalist Wil Farr announced a new group called Hurrah! A Bolt of Light! and the world made sense once again.

Farr’s new ensemble indulges Paper and Sand fans with the expert level of songwriting we’ve come to expect, but subs in some alt-country charm for the barbed hooks of his former gig. What results is that familiar raw energy that erupts in your heart and sears through your veins with a burn that’ll last for days … stoked with the added benefit of keys and a little bit of banjo. If anyone has ever told you that the banjo can’t rock, Hurrah! proves them utterly wrong.

Farr's pulpy vocals are met with those of Bridget Buscemi on Hello!, Hurrah!’s full-length debut album, strutting upon the stunning drum work of Kenny Shaw. Doug Drewes draws a steady bass line across the track list, while keyboardist Jacob Pleakis and guitarist Adam Gould round out the radiant roster.

Some songs reappear from the band’s 2010 self-titled EP. “Devil on my Shoulder” gets a starring role, as Farr’s vocals rip through the ruckus like a tornado crashing a barn dance. He sings with an intensity that’s palpable, putting a vise grip on your soul until it bursts at the apex — a veritable coup of sonic elements coming together to blow you away. And that’s not even the best part of the album (I’ll save that for last).

Hurrah! A Bolt of Light! - Devil on my Shoulder

Hello! opens solid with “See You at the Bottom” — an easy introduction to what’s in store — but pockets its sweetest moves until after the warm-up. Farr’s Alabama roots surface on “Heart is Like a River,” putting country rock guitar in the forefront. “I Don’t Know Why” teases with tempo changes, playing out drummy verses against sinuous choruses, followed by “Everything You’ve Left Behind,” a sunny anthem custom-made to rouse a crowd.

Of all the shining moments that grace the 12-song album, the penultimate number flares like a flamethrower in the night. “One Drink” is a balls-out bar brawler that’ll send you straight to the moon. Be advised to listen to this song in a big open space, or you may end up tearing down walls in an adrenaline-fueled frenzy. Even the piano shreds on this monster as Farr hollers out “One drink is never enough, when you’re down on your luck, when you’re stuck in a rut.” Don’t be surprised if you need a neck brace after this one.

Hurrah! A Bolt of Light! - One Drink