Horse Feathers

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Jagjaguwar isn't the only indie label having an outstanding 08. Kill Rock Stars, with their brilliant release by Thao, ain't doin' so bad themselves. Maybe I've missed the boat on this band, but Horse Feathers sounds like the second coming of folky stripped down goodness. Forget the whole freak folk thing or Bon Iver's melding of soul within his strums, Horse Feathers manages to layer strings on top of simple guitar strums without the pretension that you feel somewhere between the multivalent harmonies of Fleet Foxes. It feels basic but it's anything but. Justin Ringle's voice is plantive without being self-pitying and morose. The instrumentation is folksy enough to make your foot tap, but falls short of the neu-grass of the Avett Brothers.

Their latest "House with No Home" comes out Sept. 9.

Taste:
Horse Feathers - Curs in the Weeds

The hype starts here.