William Elliott Whitmore - Field Songs (2011)

Field Songs unfolds like the musical score to a film on agricultural life. I can't help but think of digging my hands in the dirt, hammering cracked barn siding and tilling long stretches of soil on a rusted-out tractor. With this album as my soundtrack, such a life almost sounds appealing. The vivid imagery speaks to Whitmore's ability to channel so much soul, old-timey grit and emotion with just his unique voice, banjo or acoustic guitar and crickets, birds and frogs as backup singers. Field Songs is even more simplistic than Animals In The Dark, Whitmore's fantastic 2009 release, which is fine from my perspective. It also helps that Whitmore seems like a genuinely likable and humble guy—someone I'd really enjoy sharing a Black Star sixer with on a front porch somewhere where the stars glow like floodlights. The title track (below) is probably my favorite, but in truth, I could listen to the whole album over and over without interruption. For additional individual highlights, check out: "Everything Gets Gone" and "Not Feeling Any Pain."

The man will be playing Slim's in San Francisco on September 23rd with James Vincent McMorrow. Should be an amazing show.

Y La Bamba - Lupon (2010)

Y La Bamba are quietly creating some serious local buzz. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they became Portland's next big band. Their music is pretty and ethereal, and makes for good nesting music as Portland settles into the colder, grayer months. Like Beirut, the band builds upon folk music from around the world. Lead singer, Luzelena Mendozarom, has a distinctive old-timey warble that took me a little while to truly appreciate. "Juniper" stands out as the obvious single, in that it exemplifies all of the best elements of the band. Mendozarom's voice ranges from smoky to soaring, and is backed by great male harmonies and really powerful, simple percussion. "November" (mp3) is a great rock song that actually feels like November, with mournful strings contrasting against an upbeat summer tempo. The musicianship on the album is fantastic, alternating between ornate and quietly sparse when it fits the song.

They are opening for fellow QuickCrit favorites, Horse Feathers, at the Doug Fir on tonight and Saturday.

William Elliott Whitmore - Animals In The Dark (2009)

It took me exactly 15 seconds of the song "Old Devils" to know that I loved this album. I know how ridiculous it sounds to judge an entire album on 15 seconds of one track, but to clarify, I should admit that I didn't start listening to this album blind to Whitmore's style and skills. When a friend recommended I check him out about 3 years ago, because of my passion for The White Buffalo, I listened to "Midnight" off of Ashes To Dust, and was convinced it was either an old black man singing (thinking Keb' Mo'-ish), or Tom Waits. Regrettably, at the time, Whitmore's music, for whatever reason, didn't make it into my regular rotation, and I kinda forgot how amazing he is (AND, I'm a complete idiot for missing his stop in San Francisco last month). Anyway, Animals In The Dark is a mixture of folk, americana, blues, old-timey, (my current favorite music genre/descriptive term) and soul that just captivates the shit out of me, because Whitmore's voice is a layer-cake of passion, struggle, heartbreak, enthusiasm, and grit. Everything is so simplistic on this album, its absolutely brilliant. The approach consists of Whitmore's remarkable, deep, rough, bluesy, soulful to the point of gospel, "I gargle gravel with Mark Lanegan" voice, and a guitar or banjo, occasionally accompanied by perhaps some drums, foot-stomping, organ, strings, or the like, as a rhythmic backdrop. With every listen I get more and more enamored with tracks like, "Lifetime Underground," "Hard Times," "There's Hope For You," "Who Stole The Soul," and, of course, "Old Devils."

For a video introduction to Whitmore, check out this lil video shot on his farm in Iowa.