Good Salt of the Earth Folk

The experimental folk rock band Blitzen Trapper are back with their fifth album, Destroyer of the Void, just in time to be added to everyone’s summer backyard party playlist. Following up their highly acclaimed 2008 album Furr, the sextet continue down the road of American folk with a mix of 70s classic rock and piano heavy tunes, hooking listeners along the way with the lyrics of a true folk storyteller.

The Portland group immediately entices listeners with their title track, channeling the likes of Beatles fans with acoustic harmonies and guitar solos leaving them in anticipation for what the rest of the album will bring. Other album highlights are “The Man Who Would Speak True,” a refreshing summer tune encompassing a true passion for the harmonica layered in storytelling, and “Heaven And Earth” with its enchantingly energetic melody that will leave you wanting to hit the replay button.  But the most prosaic song on the album is the duet with Alela Diane on “The Tree,” which proves lackluster in comparison to the variety and originality displayed on the rest of the album.

Overall, Destroyer of the Void is filled with uniquely catchy tunes and an array of captivating musical instruments that prevail as the album rolls on, but the true beauty isn’t the successful mixing the folk rock, psychedelic pop and classic rock genres, but the storytelling throughout. Eric Early has solidified his position as an impressive folk storyteller for the new decade in modern rock and on the summer’s playlist.