Distractions 2008-12-01

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

With Furr, Blitzen Trapper made an album that's more diverse, yet more consistent that last year's surprising Wild Mountain Nation. There are tons of late 60s/early 70s grooves over the whole album. Those grooves turn to groovy on the disco-like Saturday Nite. And then there's the sadly sweet ballad Not Your Lover. But there's enough harmonica, acoustic guitar and pounding piano for Trapper to hold onto its alt-country label.

[...]

Huckleberry69 2008-10-31

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Whereas "Wild Mountain Nation" was erratic and thus all over the place musically, "Furr" is the band at it's most stable. Over 13 tracks the band flies through a perfect blend of 60s and 70s throwbacks while always putting their own unique touch on every track. The main influences seem to be 60s and 70s classic rock, notably CSNY and Neil Young with a touch of the Elephant 6 Collective: melodic, organic and always engaging it is easily one of the best albums of 2008. I've had it for two days and haven't taken it out of the rotation...actually, I just keep hitting repeat, which these days is quite the rare occurence for me.

Highly recommended for any indie fans. Enjoy.

David OBrien 2008-10-30

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Furr is the successor to the excellent Wild Mountain Nation and in some ways is superior to it. The album opens with Sleeptime In The Western World. This is excellent stuff. The keyboards and vocals are reminiscent of Badfinger at their best. Next up is Gold For Bread - a cornucopia of styles from glam rock to country rock. Sounds like T-Rex, Creedence and Neil Young rolled into one. The song Furr is an acoustic ballad about a man who becomes a werewolf. Very intelligent lyrics. God & Suicide calls to mind Badfinger again. It's one of the strongest songs on the album. Fire & Fast Bullets is fast and frenetic. It has shades of T-Rex and Roxy Music in it as well as Super Furry Animals. Saturday Nite is another Badfinger type of song. Great piano and banjo here. Black River Killer is another intelligent ballad. The subject matter is perfectly described in the title. It's another great tune. Not Your Lover sounds like it belongs on Neil Young's After The Goldrush. I believe that Neil Young himself is on record as saying that he wishes he wrote it. Love U for me is the weakest track on the album. I find it grates on my ears a bit. War On Machines is another classic. It's a mix of glam rock and country. Stolen Shoes & A Rifle is a fantastic country ballad. Echo/Always On/EZ Con - three songs in one all in just over three minutes. It shows how good the band are. Final track Lady On The Water is another good acoustic ballad. Sounds like Jim Croce or even Bob Dylan.

All in all, this is an excellent album. There are no long songs. Each song is different and brilliant in its own way. It's a show of eclecticism that I haven't heard since Super Furry Animals. They should be huge. If they aren't there is no justice.

N. Leitzke 2008-10-22

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

"Wild Mountain Nation" was a great introduction to a potentially great band. If anything brought it down it was the spaces in between highlights. At times they sounded erratic, grasping for a sound and relying more on noise than on foundation, but they created a wonderful work of art. What Blitzen Trapper does on "Furr" is eliminate the erratic in-between moments and stick to what they do best - playing rock that sounds like it came out of the wilderness.

They're the lovechild of the Grateful Dead and the Kinks. My first few listens of "Furr" weren't that impressive, and I was about to give up. Something made me keep listening, and then something just clicked. One of the initial things I noticed about "Furr" was their elimination of the erratic moments from "Wild Mountain Nation" and their increased focus on the strengths, and to an extent that nearly ruined "Furr." It almost felt like a template for success, an equation, something I shy away from, but with a few more listens under my belt I'm absolutely hooked. This is a great record. The title track is beautiful, and Neil Young wishes he could sing "Not Your Lover." Give a band time to grow and figure out what they do well. The proof is in the pudding. "Furr" is delicious. I'm glad they didn't just record "Wild Mountain Nation" again, because that would be boring.

Nick 2008-10-08

2 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

pretty bored with this album. this is a band I thought could do no wrong. love the trappers and Im not just talking about wild mountain nation. sub pop + great band = boring band stripped of personality. seriously, 'not your lover' may have well been written by bon jovi and richie sambora. bring back the trappers i love. sorry early, this shiite don't fly.