Pitchfork

There's probably a handful of fans in Blitzen Trapper's native Portland, Ore., who know just what the band are capable of, but it seems like "Wild Mountain Nation" marks the first time the band has let everyone else know. Their previous two self-released records had perfectly listenable cases of rootsy tinkering and cross-genre playfulness, but sounded a bit tentative. This track, however, is country and proud, brimming with a new confidence and singing with verve. It's stuffed to the gills with guitar licks that don't bend notes so much as strut, layers of pedal steels and slides that glisten and chime, drums that hokey-pokey, and vocals that creak with empathy-- you can hear the singer smiling. It's a remarkably assured slice of off-kilter country-rock that doesn't play like a dalliance; lyrics about coming out from the wind to a wild mountain home couldn't sound more genuine. That's probably because it sounds so joyous, and exudes the quirky charm of their previous efforts without trying so hard and sullying some perfect summertime pop.

MP3: > Blitzen Trapper: "Wild Mountain Nation"
[from Wild Mountain Nation; due 06/12/07 on LidKerCow]