Old Canes - Feral Harmonic
Folk music and punk rock have always been distant cousins. Often times they share a state of mind, a certain anti-establishment attitude, and a belief that anyone can pick up an instrument and make their voice be heard. Musically though, you usually lean one way or another. Either you strum an acoustic guitar and make wistful, quiet records, or you plug into an amp and raise hell. Old Canes' Feral Harmonic doesn't fall comfortably into one category or the other.
Maybe it's the way the songs were recorded. Appleseed Cast's Chris Chrisci started all the songs by recording the drums first. And though they were then layered with entirely acoustic instruments (including trumpets that sound like they were borrowed from Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"), that foundation creates a bold, boisterous, and intensely rhythmic sound. Sure there are tracks like "Trust" and "Southern Radio" that have the quiet sound like you would expect from something labeled folk music, but the majority of the album has a rambunctious energy that is usually reserved for rock and roll. Songs like "Little Bird Courage" and "I Will Be The Sun" come flying out of the speakers with an almost explosive joy. Feral Harmonic is one of the most exciting acoustic albums I've ever heard.
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