Califone - Heron King Blues

I think I discovered Califone when this album came into rotation at the radio station while I was a DJ there. I was immediately struck with the unique sound of the group and its avant blues that was slow and full of sporadic percussion and sliding guitars plucked and strummed at in a way that flew around as I listened. It was a wonderful departure form other things in this sort of genera. Heron King Blues remains my favorite album from the group as it just feels the most cohesive from start to finish which may be due to its shorter length. I often prefer a solid EP to a full length album because full length can sometimes wear you out. I ended up getting the chance to see them live which was a great performance partially because it was fascinating to see this music played live while retaining the same feeling of the recorded albums. At any rate, this is an album that you should take a moment to listen to or preview because its hard to fully describe without simply listening to it. As I mentioned a bit before, think slow, quiet blues containing a bit of experimentation with percussion, production, and composition. The only thing that may turn some people off is that in a couple of the songs they get a bit on the jamming side of things which in my mind fits well with the aesthetic they have built. Overall I think the point I was trying to make in my rambling is that this album is a unique one that I urge anyone not familiar with the group to give a listen as it’s not every day you find a fresh look on the blues genera.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

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