Horse Feathers – Thistled Spring

Releasedate: 14-06-2010; Label: Kill Rock Stars
By: Lara Cappelli

Horse Feathers is an American Folk Rock band. Their main composer Justin Ringle is extremely influenced by seasons and their third release, “Thistled Spring”, is about spring.

The cover of the album and its title make Horse Feathers’ aim easily come out; spring is consecrated on its good and bad times to make the listener catapult inside it, played along with the album’s quiet atmosphere. The song “Thistled Spring” get the album started with a sudden impact given by a massive use of strings that call to mind the first days of spring, where flowers start to blow and everything gets more coloured. That feeling comes up with the rest of the songs too, that perfectly recall the different aspects of spring. The way it is all brought to music is extremely moderated with arrangements that never sound alike. Justin Ringle’s voice is always coalesced with strings and guitar arpeggios that make together a vital and harmonious sound, still inclined to sporadic melancholic moments.

What is to be appreciated about this album is the fact that the band succeeded in getting what they wanted to: an album with an evocative force that never lets the listener go and make the listening flow as pleasantly as spring itself does.

Line Up:
JUSTIN RINGLE – vocals, guitar
NATHAN CROCKETT – violin, saw, vocals
CATHERINE ODELL – cello, vocals
SAM COOPER – banjo, mandolin, percussion, violin, harmonium, vocals

Tracklist: 01. Thistled Spring 02. Starving Robins 03. Belly of June 04. Cascades 05. This Bed 06. The Drought 07. Vernonia Blues 08. As A Ghost 09. The Widower 10. Heaven’s No Place

Links:
Horse Feathers MySpace
Horse Feathers Official