Wooden Wand - Blood Oaths of the New Blues

This indie folk record begins with a sparse echo-ey instrumental strum drone for about five minutes before any vocal kicks in. James Jackson Toth is the man behind the monker. And unlike the currrent trend in folkiness on your pop radio stations, he keeps it low-key and moody. The tempo never picks up faster than your grandpa's waltz, the percussion is limited to bongo accompaniment or tamborine, and there's no group of Crosbies, Stills or Nashes to harmonize with.

Having said that, Toth can spin a yarn.That first track is married to the next, an excellent melody and the happiest tune on the record. "Days This Long" asks the eternal question, "Who's gonna keep me from freaking out?"

The themes throughout are what you'd expect for this kind of minimalist atmosphere. Death, loss, loneliness. "Sometimes nowhere is the only place to go" It's not at all as trite as I'm making it sound. The mood presented is real and quite interesting. A fan of the slow-Wilco should love it. "Southern Colorado Song" has a faint echo of voice ringing in the background like a ghost in the mountains.

My only complaint is that with songs so stylized that carry such a similar mood, I would cut their length down. Many of these are six+ minutes. The point gets lost, or at least bleed together with the next. (3 of 5 stars)