Ashes On The Riverbank – Thieving Irons Ashes On The Riverbank – Thieving Irons (Free Download / Buy)

Since Pela’s unfortunate break up in 2009, guitarist Nate Martinez has been working on his own solo endeavor under the name Thieving Irons. Debuting this past August, This Midnight Hum is a remarkable first release that is both raw and endearing.

A smooth blend of indie folk rock and alternative country, Martinez’s voice and the album’s vibe is reminiscent of Conor Oberst. All eleven tracks weave a tale of self-discovery, with a narrator in the throws of emotional disarray. It begins with the Ben Folds-esque tune of “Ashes on the Riverbank,” with piano riffs that seem to function as an attempted optimism amidst his deepening thoughts about how, “we wait until it’s much too late to say what we want to say/I’m so tired of these old broken ways/when these diamonds keep drifting away.”

With a sense of loss everyone can relate to, “Red Horses” moves him into more intense territory, warning, “this cannot come easy, and the pills won’t last. / The days grow long, shouting names from your past/ this is a long time coming.” The instrumental interlude “With the Lights On” is a beautifully wordless palette cleanser before the fleshing out of complex feelings continues throughout the album’s remainder.

Antique guitars, pump organs, and banjolins add a rich and interesting texture to the pensive nature of the album, and help accentuate the mood as the storyline progresses to a place of acceptance. “Wave’s Gonna Break” brings about the realization, “I’m beginning to know now why I slow down/ to hold on for another day,” and “Artifacts” sympathizes with the fact that the hardest part is “tearing up these artifacts” that keep us bound to the past. This Midnight Hum is a raw exploration of emotion that offers up powerful melodies and profound lyrics in the name of healing.