Wolf Like A Stray Dog

Norwegian Arm is a two-man band (Philly native mandolin/songwriter Brendan Mulvihill and Eric Slick of Dr. Dog) that delivers a huge, percussive, heavily syncopated sound while still maintaining a bit of the feeling of an intimate, super accessible DIY project. They mix folk sounds (many tracks have mandolin, acoustic guitar) with tons of tricky, unpredictable percussion and shifting time signatures. The lead vocals often veer mid-song between soaring, Fleet Foxes-esque celebration and quick/restrained tension, and are the highlight of most of the tracks. These are all upbeat, warm and lush, perfect summer songs. Start with:1, 2, 4, 7, but they all deserve air-play. The Sounds like: Dirty Projectors, the Dodos, Animal Collective. No FCCs.

1. (2:54)** Shimmering acoustic guitar overlaid with expansive, hymn-like vocals, transitions halfway through to upbeat, percussive jam
2. (2:15)* Heavily syncopated vocals, restrained, mandolin melody, very Vampire Weekend
3. (2:10) Spacey synth below fast-paced, punchy vocals, dog barking noises, strong beat
4. (2:08)*** West-coast/summer feel, shimmery, slightly distorted vocals, interesting electronic/synth sound beneath, upbeat, more mandolin, ends abruptly. Mix of electronic and folky instruments sounds a lot like Kishi Bashi
5. (2:00) More paired-down instrumentation, mandolin and some percussion, xylophone solo, vocals switch back and forth frequently/mid-sentence between lead singer and chorus
6. (2:20) Vocals go in a more TV on the Radio/Wolf Parade direction, fast, driving percussion, bit more dissonance, tons of time signature/syncopation switches
7. (3:13)*** Synth melody beneath plodding, restrained, heavy beat that periodically gives way to celebratory jam, very percussive, ends abruptly
8. (1:47) Bright, raw vocals over cutesy beat
9. (2:22) Deep, layered synth and mandolin sound, upbeat, voice is a bit more annoying here
10. (1:42) Exposed mandolin interrupted with big percussion and guitar, vaguely Caribbean
11. (2:17) Celebratory, upbeat, layered vocals, folk-dance music