Product Description

On their second album, the band distills their sound into a brilliant statement of minimalist Americana. Precisely arranged strings step cautiously in and around haunting vocal lines, and the economy of the music is reflected in the lyrics - a few evocative phrases tell rich stories. It's an album infused with rare power and emotion, restrained but always present, where the gaps between the notes can be as important as the notes themselves.

Track Listing

1. Curs In The Weeds
2. Rude To Rile
3. Working Poor
4. Albina
5. A Burden
6. Helen
7. Father Reprise
8. Heathen's Kiss
9. Different Gray
10. This is What
11. Father

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65826 in Music
• Released on: 2008-09-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Customer Reviews

Northwesternish Indie Folk
As a lover of Eastmountainsouth's music, I was sad to see that they stopped making albums. However, I am overjoyed to have discovered Horse Feathers which, to me, is like a revival of Eastmountainsouth. If you love Eastmountainsouth, I doubt that you'll not admire Horse Feathers. With the indie folk genre getting more mainstream attention than years past, Horse Feathers offer a solace for those who wish to listen to "grassroots" indie folk. Song picks include: "Curs in the Weeds" and "Different Gray" which are very heartrending and "This is What" which has quite stunning instrumentation.

A good slice of understated indie folk
"House with No Home," is a good example of a band successfully forging a fresh sound out of genre conventions. All the ingredients of folk are here: gentle harmonies, "unplugged" instrumentation and deceptively simple song structures. But somehow through it all, Horse Feathers manages to sound like it's own band.

Described by a number of critics as minimalistic (a label that is not completely unfounded), Horse Feathers is at it's best with as few instruments as possible cluttering up the arrangements. The opener, "Curs in the Weeds," and "Albina," (one of the albums strongest tracks) exemplify the age old adage of "less is more," both swelling in and out of emotional climaxes through a combination of acoustic guitars, minimal string sections and affected vocals and lyrics that convey a sense of quiet solemnity. But even when the band is sticking closest to it's roots - as in tracks like "Working Poor," and "Heathen's Kiss," - the songs still seem to transcend generalities and coalesce into something surprisingly honest and heartfelt (though perhaps not necessarily great).

So while every song may not quite stand toe-to-toe with the most impressive tracks on the album, as a whole it works very well as a nice, quiet way to spend a half hour. Horse Feathers has proven (again) that folk can sound new and fresh but still appeal to fans of the genre. Definitely recommended.

America's Most Beautiful Music
How this album escaped every year-end list I came across seems absolutely befuddling, bemusing, bewildering, and--with all due respect--just plain dumb (what? I said with all due respect). The only good thing about their absence from those lists is that it sets mine apart from the rest of the field (a hipster requirement, to be sure), but I would've loved for them to have gotten the publicity. I was at their show in November ('08) and again in May ('09) and they produce America's most beautiful music. There's no doubt. Their music is just as hauntingly beautiful as Bon Iver, except it's got a cello and a violin... instruments that make almost any song better! :) "Curs in the Weeds" might be my favorite song from 2008. Just. Freaking. Beautiful. I also really enjoy "Working Poor," one of the faster-paced songs from the album.