THE WILD FEATHERS
''THE WILD FEATHERS (DELUXE VERSION)''
AUGUST 9 2013
59:15
1 /Backwoods Company
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Leroy Wulfmeier / Ricky Young/3:06
2 /American
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Gary Louris / Leroy Wulfmeier / Ricky Young/4:14
3 /I Can Have You
Joel King / Ricky Young/3:36
4 /Tall Boots
Ricky Young/4:26
5 /The Ceiling
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Ricky Young/6:20
6 /Left My Woman
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Leroy Wulfmeier / Ricky Young/4:13
7 /I'm Alive
Joel King/3:11
8 /Hard Wind
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Ricky Young/3:23
9 /If You Don't Love Me
Ricky Young/3:29
10 /Hard Times
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Ricky Young/6:11
11 /Got It Wrong
Joel King / Ricky Young/3:26
12 /How
Taylor Burns/5:39
13 /Kitchen Breeze (Bonus Track)/4:20
14 /Wine & Vinegar (Bonus Track)/3:51
REVIEW
by James Christopher Monger
Falling somewhere between the earnest, neo-southern rock of The Black Crowes, the bluesy swagger of the Black Keys, and the wide-open-road country-rock of The Eagles, Nashville-by-way-of-Austin's Wild Feathers apply the lessons of the past to the wounds of the present, offering up an expansive 12-track collection of hard luck stories, fist-pumping highway jams, and rural, midtempo porch stompers that suggest a steady diet of Petty, The Band, and Mellencamp tempered with a healthy respect for The Boss -- they prefer to be called an "American" band rather than an Americana one. Things begin on an upbeat note with the propulsive “Backwoods Company,” a pistol-whipped, harp-fueled, gospel-tinged bar crawl of an opener that sets the stage for similarly kinetic late album gems like the blistering power pop anthem “I’m Alive,” and the Crazy Horse-kissed “Hard Wind,” the latter of which, oddly enough, also owes a tip of the trucker hat to “Ship of Fools”-era World Party. There’s a real familiarity at play here, especially with all of the classic rock underpinnings, that makes it awfully difficult to refrain from just listing the artists that so obviously made an impact on the group, but their Bad Company-by-way-of Big Star (see what I mean?) aesthetic is so easy and engaging, especially on standout cuts like the wise and wistful first single “The Ceiling,” the power pop-infused “American,” and the soulful, hymn-like closer “Got It Wrong," that it ultimately feels more timeless than revisionist.
BIOGRAPHY
by James Christopher Monger
Formed in 2010 in Austin, Texas around the talents of Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns and Preston Wimberly, all of whom had served as lead singers in their previous bands, The Wild Feathers came together out of a shared love for all things Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Band, and The Allman Brothers. Preferring the term "American" over Americana, the band eventually re-located to Nashville, where they inked a deal with Warner Bros. and found themselves opening shows for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. The band's eponymous major-label debut hit the streets in the summer of 2013.
''THE WILD FEATHERS (DELUXE VERSION)''
AUGUST 9 2013
59:15
1 /Backwoods Company
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Leroy Wulfmeier / Ricky Young/3:06
2 /American
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Gary Louris / Leroy Wulfmeier / Ricky Young/4:14
3 /I Can Have You
Joel King / Ricky Young/3:36
4 /Tall Boots
Ricky Young/4:26
5 /The Ceiling
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Ricky Young/6:20
6 /Left My Woman
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Leroy Wulfmeier / Ricky Young/4:13
7 /I'm Alive
Joel King/3:11
8 /Hard Wind
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Ricky Young/3:23
9 /If You Don't Love Me
Ricky Young/3:29
10 /Hard Times
Taylor Burns / Joel King / Ricky Young/6:11
11 /Got It Wrong
Joel King / Ricky Young/3:26
12 /How
Taylor Burns/5:39
13 /Kitchen Breeze (Bonus Track)/4:20
14 /Wine & Vinegar (Bonus Track)/3:51
REVIEW
by James Christopher Monger
Falling somewhere between the earnest, neo-southern rock of The Black Crowes, the bluesy swagger of the Black Keys, and the wide-open-road country-rock of The Eagles, Nashville-by-way-of-Austin's Wild Feathers apply the lessons of the past to the wounds of the present, offering up an expansive 12-track collection of hard luck stories, fist-pumping highway jams, and rural, midtempo porch stompers that suggest a steady diet of Petty, The Band, and Mellencamp tempered with a healthy respect for The Boss -- they prefer to be called an "American" band rather than an Americana one. Things begin on an upbeat note with the propulsive “Backwoods Company,” a pistol-whipped, harp-fueled, gospel-tinged bar crawl of an opener that sets the stage for similarly kinetic late album gems like the blistering power pop anthem “I’m Alive,” and the Crazy Horse-kissed “Hard Wind,” the latter of which, oddly enough, also owes a tip of the trucker hat to “Ship of Fools”-era World Party. There’s a real familiarity at play here, especially with all of the classic rock underpinnings, that makes it awfully difficult to refrain from just listing the artists that so obviously made an impact on the group, but their Bad Company-by-way-of Big Star (see what I mean?) aesthetic is so easy and engaging, especially on standout cuts like the wise and wistful first single “The Ceiling,” the power pop-infused “American,” and the soulful, hymn-like closer “Got It Wrong," that it ultimately feels more timeless than revisionist.
BIOGRAPHY
by James Christopher Monger
Formed in 2010 in Austin, Texas around the talents of Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns and Preston Wimberly, all of whom had served as lead singers in their previous bands, The Wild Feathers came together out of a shared love for all things Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Band, and The Allman Brothers. Preferring the term "American" over Americana, the band eventually re-located to Nashville, where they inked a deal with Warner Bros. and found themselves opening shows for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. The band's eponymous major-label debut hit the streets in the summer of 2013.