Wood Ear
Steeple Vultures
Churchkey
2012
Rating: 7 art collectors out of 10
They say music rots your brain and isn't educational, but in looking up a website for the band Wood Ear I also learned that in addition to playing fine music, it's an edible fungus most often found in Asian cuisine...but then again, what isn't used in Asian cuisine?
I was under the impression that Wood Ear was a new group, but apparently they've been around since 2003 but have only released one other self-titled record in 2007. This five piece sounds very much a part of the local scene, equal parts mellow, spacy indie rock and heartland alt-country. I hear a lot of Lucero in their music (though not in the vocals); some late-era Replacements (a very underrated phase of that band that doesn't get enough credit) in the song-writing; and the vocals...honestly, I can't put my finger on what that reminds me of. A couple of songs make me think of the band Seldom that was around in the early 2000s that I might have been the only one listening to, but other than that I'm stuck. One thing that doesn't have me confused is the greatness of "Leave My Walls," the undisputed champion of the record and one of my favorite songs of the year. And lucky for everyone, you can grab that song for free here.
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