Last Of The Country Gentlemen

Josh T. Pearson
Last of the Country Gentlemen
Reviewed 4-30-2011

Haunted experimental folk-- the album is the continuous, stream-of-conscious self-thrashings of a penitent adulterer. It's darker and more existential than anything else you'll hear this year. Four of the seven tracks are over 10 minutes long-- each features low-key, sparse acoustic guitar playing, and aching crown-of-thorns vocals. Each track is recursive, all hypnotizing repetitions.

This is pain in record form. Unusual and beautiful and worth checking out.

FCCs: (3 and 4 and 5). PLAY: (4, if it's safe harbor. Really, the songs are great in proportion to the length of the track.)

1. Real quiet opening. "Don't cry..." Wailing over a guitar played like a harp. (3:14)
2. ** Starts quiet, Comes to a complete lull at four minutes in. Then quiet rage slowly builds back up. (11:45)
3. (FCC: glancing "shit") **** As upbeat as this albums gets-- resigned, depressed mock-revenge song, with hopeful major-chord guitar strumming. Mournful string section joins. Somehow triumphant. Pain. (7:00)
4. (FCC: Multiple "fuck"s) ******************** Trilling violins open, then it's an open confession for 13 minutes. Occasional breaks with sad discordant strings, but mostly apologetic, repetitive yelp-crooning over muscular guitar. This is just ungodly beautiful. Pain. Pain. PAIN. (13:01)
5. (FCC: "fuck" and more.) ***** Whispered, somehow vicious vocals. Tangled, hypnotic guitar picking. Pain. (10:50)
6. * Essentially an extension of track five. Expressive violin joins in. False ending, with coda. (10:13)
7. Echo chamber, and chirped trilling guitar strings. (2:33)

-Hervey Okkles