Categories : Folk + Roots, Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
 |
Rating: 4 / 5 Reviewer: Trent Depue |
Following the success of Blitzen Trapper’s 2008 Sub Pop debut Furr, an album that would go on to become Rolling Stone’s 13th best album of 2008, comes the follow up EP, Black River Killer. And what better way to carry over some of their previous success then by taking the best track off that album and making it the title track of the new one, as not only does ‘Black River Killer’ highlight Furr, so it highlights the new EP.
Title track aside, Black River Killer brings to the masses six new tracks that, though previously available to excited concert goers at the band merchandise table, are seeing their first wide release. Each of these songs builds on the EP, and despite the fact that it only clocks in at seventeen minutes long, Black River Killer manages to successfully and completely pull the listener in. ‘Silver Moon,’ with its upbeat tempo and use of harmonica, ‘Going Down’ with it’s subtle use of the synthesizer and the beauty and simplicity of lone ballad ‘Shoulder Full of You’ all bring their own individual merits, coming together into a surprisingly complete set of songs given the record’s length. Closing with the fun and upbeat ‘Big Black Bird,’ Blitzen Trapper brings the album to a close on almost as strong a note as they opened it on with the title track.
Blitzen Trapper has been garnishing nothing but accolades and the new EP stands as proof that this band isn’t going away. Black River Killer shows signs of continued growth from Furr, and additionally proves that they are more than able to be impacting, even given a short time frame to do so in.
