Album Reviews

OR, THE WHALE

Self-Titled

2009-08-08

This is the second album from the San Francisco seven-piece outfit, Or, the Whale. I find it to be a bit more "countryfied" than their first album, "Light Poles and Pines". This album of sometimes rocking, folk-country does have some good things to offer, such as nice production and vocal harmonies. Besides your basic guitar, drums, and vocals, Or, the Whale's brand of Americana also features dobro, pedal steel guitar and banjo. Most of the songs here are somewhat Starland Vocal Band-sounding in their country-pop harmonies. The more rocking songs are the album opener, "No Love Blues", the haunting "Keep Me Up", and the Jefferson Airplane-ish "Black Rabbit". Rebecca Ruth

Quick Links:

all reviews | all folk reviews

More reviews tagged #Folk

reviewed 05/2007
MARK OLSON
The Salvation Blues
reviewed 11/2009
JAY FARRAR/BENJAMIN GIBBARD
One Fast Move or I'm Gone
reviewed 05/2011
FAIRPORT CONVENTION WITH SANDY DENNY
EBBITS FIELD 1974
reviewed 05/2009
DAVE ALVIN AND THE GUILTY WOMEN
DAVE ALVIN AND THE GUILTY WOMEN
reviewed 12/1969
AUDREY AULD MEZERA
LOST MEN AND ANGRY GIRLS
reviewed 02/2009
MISSY RAINES & THE NEW HIP
INSIDE OUT

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.