Small Sur - We Live in Houses Made of Wood (2008)

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With this first release on Tender Loving Empire, Bob Keal, ringleader for the motley crew of wilderness folksters Small Sur including one familiar face Andy Abelow, banks on a hypothesis…one he clearly bases on years of tradition and strength in circles of bluegrass, country and the many sounds of folk in rural Americana. He is betting that there is a well of universal memories, vivid images ingrained in our social subconscious, just waiting to be unleashed…triggered by a steady, knowing hand.

Here’s the good news: he is completely right.

After previewing a few tracks from this debut album, We Live in Houses Made of Wood, the most striking thing was the clarity of the musical vision. Stylistically, Small Sur goes for it, losing themselves in folk, more concerned with quality and authenticity, rather than the overuse of experimentation and boundary-pushing concepts that lately has felt almost crushing in its weight. More often than not in recent years, merit is given almost by default to someone haphazardly fusing things together. Woe to the person who tries to distill and purify something down to its essence, and then honing it to near-perfection.

But Small Sur ignores this and heads straight for the woods, never looking back. With an astoundingly assured and deliberate pacing that might seem slow if the music wasn’t so rich and warm, this album flies in the face of the hustle-and-bustle world. It compels you to lay back, reflect and lose yourself in some of the most vital aural escapism in recent years. Every one of these songs recalls a distinct memory or image, culled either from your own personal experience or a more universal wall of images and experiences with nature and wilderness.

In each song, every musical voice, both instrumental and vocal, falls on top of each other as if layers of sediment gradually depositing in a river. Each layer with its own cadence, its own pace, its own distinctive characteristics. Eventually, as each song progresses, the layers form a tightly compact whole, one that you could never imagine existing again as so many distinct parts.

I can’t recommend this album enough. It is as refreshing as it is genuine, as invigorating as it is relaxing, a vivid and passionate journey into the wilderness, recalling humanity’s deep connection to nature and its beauty.

By Greg Szeto (auralstates)