I might be guilty of community aloofness or purposefully seeking out of music NOT located "just around the corner" here in Austin. We (the city that is) are celebrated for all the music that's always happening here, but I have to tell you, while I keep my ears open, I don't actively involve myself in the issues of the local music peeps. Reasoning? My idiot brain wants to be contrarian and explore the wider spectrum of happenings around the world. This is not my best trait as a music writer, but fuck it...I have had PLENTY of good times right here at home (meaning this urban hot spot), but damn how can I contain myself in a box when soooo much music is being produced elsewhere? Geographic ADHD? My burritos, burgers, and beers are enjoyed locally, but music is INTERNATIONAL. So, as I open the mailbox I find a tape sent from across town, 15 minutes or less down the traffic jam - a local duder dealing with hang ups, life questions, and singing from within the county line. Will I enjoy this?
Breatherholes' Come Home isn't what I expected...and that's a good thing. The artwork, moniker, and presentation led me to believe the music might be on the damaged side of sloppy punk or art-noise, but the truth is different. Acoustic strums, reverb vocals smearing the drawl and hum of the melodies, and (almost incidental) homebrewed percussion make this the surprising tape of the year for me as a critical listener. According the note sent along with the tape, the music was “recorded in an RV in a driveway in Austin, TX." With this knowledge, the DIY fidelity & handmade charms make even more sense. Folky perhaps, but this aint folk music. The isolated, interior musings of a reformed punk rocker living life on the barest of essentials? You be the judge.
Buy and Listen HERE.
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