You Can Wear Your Fur Like a River on Fire

Blitzen Trapper is a band that, for one reason or another, I had never actually gotten around to listening to until I came across their 2008 album, Furr. The album, and the title track, grabbed and shook me instantly, as if the music were slapping me in the face for sleeping on the beautifully sweet Portland-based Sub Pop sextet. The band joined the influential Northwest label for Furr, only achieving modest success on their first three albums before the switch. While I confess that I am not fully educated in their older material, I made myself a promise to, because “Furr”, and the rest of their most recent release is so quaint and soothing. Much like Fleet Foxes, Sparrow House, and Josh Ritter, the band balances influences of folk, country, and indie rock on “Furr”, with lead vocalist Eric Earley’s effortless lyricism providing the perfect complement to the ambient nature noises and hushed acoustic guitar. The video is a nice little supplement to the track, featuring cute stop-motion paper cut-outs of the band singing along while plants, gramophones, and assorted animals (I think I saw Pegasus?) dance all around the brown backdrop. “Furr” is so effective and accessible because its so damn simple, with uncomplicated instrumentation layered just right (much like The Strokes), giving the song an airy, relaxing feel. Blitzen Trapper, if you’re reading this: my apologies. I’m on the bandwagon now.

MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Furr”

Love,
Zack