On The Mothership

Swamp lands for miles and miles - little else grows out here. Riding home from the Outer Banks, NC, we pass a homestead with barren fields, and a produce stand with a sign that says only "sweet potatoes." The stand was empty. A ways back, I saw a sign from the local wildlife foundation that said "waterfowl impoundment." I can only think of ducks and the like sitting in little jail cells singing Folsom Prison Blues. There's a whole lot of nothing out here. The land is full of nothing, save for soybeans. Some tobacco.  Alternatively, you have places such as New York of Chicago, where the streets are taller than they are long, and they are crowded. photo by my friend, Danny Allen, NY Even NC's own Raleigh or Charlotte has plenty of hustle and bustle. Out here in rural eastern NC though, the buzz comes from the bees. If you relocated someone from one of the cities to here, I imagine you would receive one of two reactions. Regardless of h

photo by Michael Buisha In the one-month wake of Big Thief's latest release, their third studio album, U.F.O.F., I would like to take a moment to talk about the band's direction with this album, track by track commentary, and what it might mean for their future albums. First off, as I started listening to this album upon its release, I wasn't quite sure what I thought at first, yet I find myself compelled to continue listening to the album, over and over again. Big Thief is one my favorite names in the indie scene, and I hoped this album wouldn't disappoint. A little less reliance on distinctive, solid melodies than prior albums, it allows the melody to play and wander. Exploratory in nature, which could be the overall tone of the album. Without anymore delay, let's get into the album. photo by Dustin Condren 1. Contact Great start to the album, atmospheric and surreal, perhaps one of the most polished tracks they've put out (polished meaning fol