Pete Uhlenbruch, better known as Owls of the Swamp, has been showing off his folk stylings around the southern states for a little while now, steadily making a name for himself. Go with River is the sophomore album from Uhlenbruch after 2007’s Smoky Bay, and has a similar inception to that of Bon Iver’s debut. Uhlenbruch holed himself up in a little house in Inverloch for five weeks while he wrote and recorded most of the music on the album. The end product is a warm folk-pop offering that leans more towards the folk end of the spectrum than pop. It’s a sound that’s easily comparable to that of Iron and Wine or Bon Iver, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that they are similar.
Go with River heavily features a gently plucked guitar accompanied by Uhlenbruch’s melancholy voice, enhanced by gorgeous light layers and textures. ‘Tricks and Turns’ is the absolute highlight of the album though, with a catchy melody and bittersweet lyrics; one of the few songs that will instantly catch you. First single ‘So Far Away’ is of course a stand out track as well, and one of the poppier on the album. There are snippets of songs that could have potentially been greater than what they are, opener ‘43’ for example has a nice chord progression that doesn’t progress any further than a minute long instrumental and ‘Praying Mantis’ which is at 45 second scoundscape. The album as a whole is extremely cohesive and flows easily, but can seem quite simplistic or sparse at times. For the most part it isn’t immediately striking, but after a few listens the nuances begin to shine through.
Music For The Laundromat 