Tuesday, Jan. 5th 2009

Listen To The New Laura Veirs Album

By LB

NPR is currently streaming the new Laura Veirs album, July Flame, as part of their Exclusive First Listen series. You can (and should) listen to it here. Veirs, based in Portland, is easily one of the best solo artists to come out of the Pac Northwest (for those interested in picking nits, yes, she grew up in Colorado). And I’ve only really listened to two of her records prior to this one. To me, 2005’s Year of Meteors is a highlight of her catalog, and where that release had a bit more of a bouncy, filled-in loveliness to it, July Flame, while not without its brighter moments, delves more into her spartan, folk-driven leanings. I don’t normally like to list off a bunch of other artists when describing a musician, but I’m instantly reminded of both Chutes Too Narrow by the Shins and Only As The Day Is Long by Sera Cahoone while listening to this. I think it’s mostly the voice—hers is a mid-range, tomboyish flight brimming with both confidence and anxiety—but the moods and tones and instruments and arrangements also recall those two excellent records. Lots of piano, banjo, pedal steel, violin, and good ol’ regular guitar to boot.

I think the title track will be the focal point of most listener’s affection—and for good reason, it’s awesome, and about a peach!—but the entire record is fantastic. So far, I’m also really diggin’ on “Sun Is King”, “Summer Is The Champion”, and “Wide-Eyed, Legless”. Veirs is heading out on a European tour for most of January and February, but will follow that up with a US tour. You can catch her and her backing band—the Hall Of Flames—at the Tractor on March 13th with the Old Believers and Cataldo. July Flame is due out January 12th on Veirs’ own label, Raven Marching Band Records. Hit the link.