The audio playback cracks and breaks up. I am suddenly depressed. Justin Ringle, the force behind Horse Feathers, sounds as if he’s underwater. The interview is lost to the fickle gods of technology: I will have to recall from memory the bits I can.
I can’t talk about Justin Ringle’s magnificent abilities as a songwriter without reference to the amazing arrangements throughout the band’s 10-year span. Violin and cello spring suddenly to the ear, then fade away, leaving Ringle’s soft, sincere voice and guitar strum in the forefront of much of the music. There is a darkness to a good deal of these tunes, but they never become funereal or lugubrious. Ringle and Co., album-to-album, craft some of the finest records around. So It Is With Us is no exception to the rule. But I must add that a bit of said darkness has lightened up, here and there, on the new effort.
Ringle has seen changes in the music industry over his 10-plus-years as a frontman. There were a few months when he didn’t touch his guitar and wondered about his job as a full-time musician. He’s a fan of Faulkner and O’Connor, if I recall correctly, which is fitting given that his sound is Southern though the group is out Portland, Oregon.
Just last night, I played Thistled Spring (2010) while attempting to clean. It was the power of Ringle’s words, informed by literature and hardships around him, the power of the songs themselves that forced me to sit down and listen. Ringle has been compared to Bonnie “Prince” Billy, a weak comparison that, to my mind, merely takes into account that both sing and play guitar. The analogies should end there. Ringle’s voice bells and weaves in and out of each song, as if the voice itself were merely another instrument, often lower in the mix, often delicious when lyrics are teased out by the listener. A recent NPR Tiny Desk appearance proves this to be true. Unlike a good deal of singer/songwriters, Ringle’s abilities and brilliance as a vocalist aren’t pushed up to the front; his vocals bob and weave and dance around the compositions. The compositions compliment his singing and vice-versa. Often, (again I hope I am recalling this properly) Horse Feathers begin with violins, drums, other instruments and Justin writes and sings around them. This is a highly original and surprising way in which to work.
I know Ringle’s voice across the phone line was soft and sincere and I remember enjoying listening to him. Unlike previous tours, the sets on this one will feature drums, bass, a full band to say the least. Some of the darkness of the older songs has been filtered through this new musical lens, this new musical way of doing things. Horse Feathers is not a party band. Although some levity has entered into the craft, they continue to amaze with great music, lyrics, tenderness and truth.
I apologize to Justin and the band. I listen to the records and repeat, it’s my fault. It’s not my fault.
Horse Feathers play The Old Rock House (1200 S. Seventh, 314-588-0505, oldrockhouse.com) on Sunday, September 20.Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 day of show, and can be purchased here; doors open at 7 p.m.; Scarlet Tanager opens.
