by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Big Harp, Chain Letters (Saddle Creek, 2013)

Big Harp today announced that it will be releasing its sophomore album, Chain Letters, Jan 22 on good ol’ Saddle Creek Records. According to their publicist, Big Hassle, the album was recorded at ARC with engineer Ben Brodin and at the band’s LA home and was mixed by the incomparable Mike Mogis.

On the new album the duo of Chris Senseney and Stefanie Drootin-Senseney are joined by John Voris on drums. “The album moves away from the rustic, pastoral sound of their debut and towards a truer union of their backgrounds (Chris grew up in Valentine, NE, an isolated cow town of 2,800; Stefanie is a native Angeleno). Built on a foundation of crackling fuzz bass and angular electric guitars and keyboards, the songs on Chain Letters play like a series of character sketches centered around escape and surrender, and the blurred borders where the two become indistinguishable.”

Based on their “album trailer” on YouTube (below) the duo have indeed changed-up their sound to something that more resembles rock than folk. I’m thinking this could be good…

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Tonight at The Barley Street Tavern it’s the return of Chicago singer/songwriter Paleo, aka David Strackany with Cartright (Austin, TX), Sean Pratt and Fletch. $5, 9 p.m.

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