★★★★★
Time was when folksy, bearded fellows fingerpicking their beat-up acoustic guitars were a dime a dozen. They roamed free over the hills and forests of the Pacific Northwest and among the concrete environs of Silver Lake in Los Angeles, heeding the call of the soft-spoken wild made so attractive by Sam Beam. Sometime over the past few years, though, the prevailing winds shifted, and it seems like only a few genuinely rustic-sounding acoustic outfits are still around...
- www.prefixmag.com
2012-05-10
★★★★★
Justin Ringle and his band of merry musicians collectively known as Horse Feathers have put forth a very inspiring baroque pop album for their fourth release. Cynic's New Year is filled with layer upon layer of instruments, allowing the band a grander scale that presents the band as a happy-go-lucky Oregon band. Yet, if you listen beyond the slides, horns and whistles and bells, there is a murky undertone hiding in Ringle's lyrics...
- www.pastemagazine.com
2012-04-30
★★★★★
Musically and geographically, Justin Ringle is far removed from the Appalachian region that birthed so many of his folk forebears. Born in Idaho, he moved even further west to Portland, Oregon, where he formed Horse Feathers in 2004. Embracing a somber sound that proved an ideal setting for his slightly androgynous vocals, he managed to conceive his own personal idea of string-band folk, one that disregarded the technical prowess and lively performance style of East Coast strains...
- pitchfork.com
2012-04-26
★★★★★
In the Chinese zodiac, 2012 is known as the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is the most auspicious and powerful of the 12 signs of the zodiac, the only sign representing a mythological creature, one associated with high energy and prosperity. The dragon is a symbol of superior control and is also said to be a good symbol that represents change and mobility...
- www.popmatters.com
2012-04-19
★★★★★
The moniker "Horse Feathers" seems to fit the music of Justin Ringle and Nathan Crockett's latest album pretty well: wispy ornamentation disguising the uneasy power beneath. Lighthearted melodies and delicate instrumentations mask Cynic's New Year's darker lyrics, adding a layer of complexity that requires multiple listens...
- filtermagazine.com
2012-04-19
★★★★★
Summary: Horse Feathers keep soothing souls with their unhurried, threadbare take on indie-folk. Horse Feathers' work has always contained a mixture of conflicting emotions. From the elegant and lush strings to the underlying sense of turmoil, each album has taken polar opposite moods and harmonized them...
- www.sputnikmusic.com
2012-04-19
★★★★★
While many modern folk bands are adding excessive instrumentation and recruiting more players than the max capacity of an elevator, Horse Feathers have reined things in. The Portland, OR band's fourth album, Cynic's New Year, is a full-band affair but often feels like a solo venture for frontman Justin Ringle - the songs sink or swim under his watch. Opener "A Heart Arcane" is warm and inviting, a dead ringer for Canadian counterparts Great Lake Swimmers...
- exclaim.ca
2012-04-19
★★★★★
Summary: Horse Feathers takes your ears and mind to a distant, wintry location. 5 of 5 thought this review was well written Album artwork can be utilized to accomplish a number of different things. It might be generally agreed upon that most artists aim to represent their music through the cover. However, a number of artists make them ironic, humorous, flashy, or appealing to one's visual senses.....
- www.sputnikmusic.com
2011-02-21
★★★★★
Summary: Horse Feathers takes your ears and mind to a distant, wintry location. 5 of 5 thought this review was well written Album artwork can be utilized to accomplish a number of different things. It might be generally agreed upon that most artists aim to represent their music through the cover. However, a number of artists make them ironic, humorous, flashy, or appealing to one's visual senses.....
- www.sputnikmusic.com
2010-12-06
Loading...
