Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing

A wise man once discussed the beauty of those bands that astound for their creativity and uniqueness. Yeah? Well, maybe there’s just as much to be gotten from a band that absorbs its surroundings and assembles a sound that is equally as impressive for its comprehension and inclusion of what has come before it. Maybe in just one album you can hear traces of The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, Little Feat, John Hartford, Josh Ritter, Cat Stevens and even Sublime. And if there is such a thing, it’s Blitzen Trapper’s latest, American Goldwing.

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Blitzen Trapper isn’t a newbie to the music scene, but it is definitely greener than its classic sound implies. Comprised of Eric Earley (guitar/vocals), Brian Adrian Koch (drums/vocals), Marty Marquis (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Erik Menteer (guitar/keyboard), and Michael VanPelt (bass), Blitzen Trapper is among a number of indie folk bands to come on the scene in the last decade. What separates their creation from the others though, is their ability to take something old and make it sound fresh and new.

Their six full-length album, and third under the Sub-Pop label, American Goldwing is an all-inclusive look at the greatest parts of the country- and folk-rock scenes. The acoustic guitar and piano play nice in the sandbox with the harmonica and electric guitar. Country twang meshes suitably with two- and three-part harmonies. Southern-roots rock opens the album with “Might Find It Cheap” and “Fletcher,” which yield to American folk with “Love The Way You Walk Away” and onto classic rock with “Your Cryin’ Eyes.” There is unity here.

Goldwing goes in and out, back and forth, adding enough stylistic, thematic and instrumental variety to keep the listener’s interest, while neither straying too far from the nest nor becoming stale. “Taking It Easy Too Long” offers just as much emotion as “Girl in a Goat,” and “American Goldwing” just as much heartland pride as “My Home Town”. “Street Fighting Sun” isn’t a surprise, but instead a reminder of how Goldwing began, and “Stranger in a Strange Land” is the send-off you’d expect from a band that wants you to enjoy what you’ve heard as much as they’ve enjoyed making it for you.

Truth be told, Blitzen Trapper probably won’t blow you away. There’s nothing flashy or overtly extraordinary about them. But that doesn’t mean they don’t fulfill their obligation as professional musicians—to create an honest product that pleases the ear. Not every band has to be the next big thing. In fact, it is those that know their place, that play what they know to be true and don’t try to be something they aren’t that accomplish the most. American Goldwing is the paradigm of this thought, and, as long as you don’t gauge accomplishment solely in dollars, it should be thought of as a hit.

Rating:
Overall: 3.5/5
Originality: 3.5/5
Production: 3.5/5
Listenability: 4.5/5