Portland five-piece Blitzen Trapper may be regarded as an experimental folk band, but the former Sub Pop act’s latest offering is steeped in classic Americana of all hues.
‘All Across this Land’ packs a 70s American rock vibe, and it flows into ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll (Was Made for You)’, a jaunty country rocker with a hefty hint of Tom Petty. Piano-led ‘Lonesome Angel’ sees Eric Earley come on like a young Bob Dylan in his vocal inflections, while ‘Nights Were Made for Love’ calls to mind Bruce Springsteen, tinted with nostalgia for girls and good times and a rousing chorus that’s easy on the ear. ‘Cadillac Road’ again follows the Springsteen stylings, a bad-luck hard-times tale in the vein of ‘Downbound Train’ from ‘Born in the USA’. And it appears to lift elements of melody from numerous sources, including Chris Isaac’s ‘Wicked Game’.
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Yet for all that, it would be unjust to pillory ' All Across This Land’ for being derivative, because precisely where it succeeds is in sounding instantly familiar. Each song stands in its own right, and the album slots neatly and comfortably into the field it aligns itself with.
Blitzen Trapper Online
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