Horse Feathers - House With No Home (2008)

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Born and raised in Lewiston, ID, Justin Ringle has a natural affinity with the West. Its space, beauty, and nonconformity seem to be reflected in the music of his band Horse Feathers, named after an expression he heard his grandfather use. In Ringle’s hands, the common meaning of this expression comes to life: two things that can’t possibly exist together are spun into a gossamer delicacy of music shot through with lyrical weight.

Justin grew up on Northwest labels like Sub Pop, Kill Rock Stars, and K Records, but soon broadened his horizons. ‘Nebraska’ by Bruce Springsteen, Dylan’s ‘Blood on the Tracks’, Fleetwood Mac, Willie Nelson and old country and blues like Lefty Frizzell and Son House have all contributed to shaping Horse Feather’s arrestingly spare sound.

Moving from Idaho to Portland, OR in 2004, Justin recorded some demos, one of which found its way to Peter Broderick (Norfolk & Western, Dolorean, and Loch Lomond)a talented multi-instrumentalist. Peter was so taken by the songs he contacted Justin and offered to help record them properly. Later Peter’s sister Heather Broderick joined the band on cello and backing vocals. Justin and Peter worked together to polish the material that became the group’s first album, ‘Words Are Dead’ which was released on the local Lucky Madison label in 2006. It received an enthusiastic response, including a nomination for the Plug Awards ‘Americana Album of the Year.’

After a year of touring the US in various incarnations, Horse Feathers signed to Kill Rock Stars and proceeded to record this, their second album: ‘House With No Home’. On it they have distilled their sound into a brilliant statement of minimalist Americana. Peter and Heather’s precisely arranged strings step cautiously in and around Justin’s haunting vocal lines, and the economy of music is also reflected in the lyrics – a few evocative phrases tell rich stories, each word weighted and delivered with careful purpose. It is an album infused with rare power and emotion, restrained but always present, where the gaps between the notes can be as important as the notes themselves.