If there’s one thing I can say about this band, it’s that their live show is fantastic. With Sam Cooper, the jack-of-all-trades musician, playing the banjo, violin, and percussion, the performance has this amazing, dynamic feel. What really throws me, though, is the sound of Catherine Odell’s cello and Nathan Crockett’s violin working together. With their talent, there’s no way the acoustics of most venues can do them justice (sorry Mercury Lounge).

While the group now seems completely solidified, Horse Feathers has definitely taken an interesting path to be where it is today. While two of the original members left the band after the release of their second album House with no Home, its creative direction remained in tact with founder Justin Ringle. Crockett, Odell, and Cooper, the newest editions to the group, not only add a new element to the stage, but a different feel for the music as well. I got a chance to grab Justin’s take on this after one of the group’s New York shows.

“Every player’s a little bit different. I think that they all have different strengths and different weaknesses. I’ve played with many people over the past several years. I feel like being the songwriter, you know trying to get them to hear the vision of what I want it to sound like, I think that part of my job is to play up their strengths and weaknesses. I think that this particular band, this group, I’ve been really lucky in finding these people because they’re all amazing musicians. “

Their music is always anchored by Justin’s vocals and guitar, but their new album Thistled Spring really showcases the incredible talent of each member.  When I asked Justin to describe it in three words he used (after a good deal of pondering): Growth, Hopeful, and Melancholy. I can’t agree more. When I listened to the album, I was completely blown away by the echoing vocals, beautiful arrangement, and layer upon layer of amazing musicianship. The lyrics and music work together perfectly, and the effect is AMAZING! Listening to it all the way through is a humbling experience, and one I plan on repeating regularly.

“What’s happened is I’m drawn to this kind of contrast where music and mood may contrast the lyrical content of the song. It’s been something I’ve been drawn to for a while. I think there’s a nice interplay when I start to work that way and approach it from those different directions because sometimes it seems a little trite to have a happy song just be purely 100% happy. That song’s been written a million times. The same way that you have a sad song that’s also just equally sad in content in terms of it’s lyrics had also been done a million times. There’s some kind of territory in there that if feel like is intriguing by not having to be one way or another.”

If mellower folk is your flavor, I highly recommend you give these guys a listen. Their music is insightful, beautiful, and absolutely worth a shot.