Typically, perusing the ‘St Louis’ tag within the halls of Bandcamp is an exercise in futility, something I’d only recommend to those who’d like to be reminded that the music scene in Missouri is relegated to horrible electronica and country jams, for the most part. But every now and then, once in a good great while, one is surprised. The odds are low that you’ll encounter anything worth your time in those aforementioned halls but when you stumble upon something as great as Scarlet Tanager, those sad odds become worth enduring.
Normally a lady’s voice doesn’t float my proverbial boat but the vocals and lyrics of Scarlet Tanager’s Susan Logsdon raise the waters and lift the canoe off the bank. ‘Tumbleweed’ is a lighthearted sing along, one of those songs that grabs your attention and frankly I wouldn’t be surprised to see it sent up to the Apple Gods and narrating an iPad commercial in the future. But to glorify the adorableness of that jam and that jam alone would be to discount the rest of the album and that would be a travesty. From the opening track, ‘The Birds of the Dawn’, to the closing lines of ‘Zipcode (Version II)’, I was captivated by the wholeness of this band and the resounding sound of a group that puts real thought and work into an album that impresses quiet a bit on first listen and even more so on subsequent spins.
In short, Scarlet Tanager gives me great hope for this goddamn state. Turns out, it’s not all Jason Aldean up in here. There are real musicians lurking in the corners of our geography, if you’ll dig for them…
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Scarlet Tanager :: Tumbleweed [mp3]
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