It’s been seven years now since I sat in a friend’s cabin in Door County, Wisconsin, watching the snow slowly, silently building up all around me, and listening to some great Americana slowcore—mumbled, lo-fi, folk, AltCountry stuff like Loner, Thomas Denver Jonsson, Damian Jurado, Early Day Miners, Okkervil River, and Spokane. The lights were kept low, the fire stoked, the volume turned up, the beer cold, and I spent the evening soaking in the atmosphere of the music.
Flash forward a year later and I was enjoying Holy Sons’ I Want a Peaceful Life which would’ve fit perfectly in my cabin experience–lo-fi folk with plenty of electronic, ambient noise throw in. It’s Americana for cabins that can also sway a bit with the beat of a city night.
Now Holy Sons (Emil Amos and company) return with Survivalist Tales!. It ranges from the most mumbled slowcore to tracks that tingle with electric energy ready to break out. The plaintive styling makes you think that it’s music for quiet nights, but really it’s made to be cranked—while you’re alone. It’s meant for watching snow come down—contemplating just what would happen if you didn’t have a warm shelter and faith that life wouldn’t fall apart.
