This album came out a few months ago but in the end of year rush to compile year-end lists and whatnot I figured I would revisit some recent albums that went by the wayside in our little blogosphere due to our shutdown issues. Anyway, I became familiar with Blitzen Trapper early this year and managed to get into a previously sold out show they did with the great Fleet Foxes at the great Schuba’s back in April and pretty much loved everything about that show. I was moderately familiar with Wild Mountain Nation and enjoyed it, but their live sound really made me a believer as they proceeded to rock it out and bring a lot of life to some fairly chill songs. With their new album I feel like they are continuing to evolve, and while the new album has a more listener-friendly kind of feel to it, it still shines and is a great disc.

I get songs from this album stuck in my head all the time pretty much. They start out strong on “Sleepytime in the Western World” with a big band sound and some salty guitar licks adding into a great jam. They kick “Gold For Bread” off with some acoustic stylings but then jump back into the guitar rock out, which has become more of a staple on this record and which also follows their live show a little more closely. They slow it down with the Bob Dylan sounding “Furr” next, which helps show their ability to play both hard rock and country/folk songs right off of each other and make them sound like they fit perfectly together. “God & Suicide” is a great well developed song that builds in some other instruments such as the keys and piano and has a solid groove throughout, added in with some backing vocal harmonies. “Saturday Night” is another great offbeat slightly folksy/slightly country song with a cool beat, and really has a nice synth/organ/guitar solo thrown in there. Really a cool song. They continue a late album trend into slower jams with the piano ballad “Not Your Lover”, great song. They pick it back up on “Love U” and “War on Machines”, which is a great typical song for the album with such a cool beat, familiar yet fresh at the same time. “Echo/Always On/EZ Con” is basically 2 songs in one, with “Echo” starting out with that slow piano feel and just has a great pace and sound to it. Another slow jam that keeps you engaged despite not a lot of bells and whistles going on. “Always On/EZ Con” brings a nice instrumental groove into the mix. The closer “Lady On The Water” is a pretty simple and genuine folksy feeling song to finish out the album.

I really like this album a whole lot, and I think I may even like it more than their truly awesome Wild Mountain Nation, if that is even possible. They have really added a lot of high energy songs into the mix while keeping those folk/country moments in there to keep the balance while never sounding forced or out of place. It is really a great mix, and they manage to keep the two sides of their personality in perfect balance here, bringing together a great album that I’m sure I will continue listening to for quite a while.

BV Rate: 86

Blitzen Trapper – God & Suicide – From Furr
Blitzen Trapper – War On Machines – From Furr