Radio Receiver
Deer Lodge, 2020
8/10
A project spearheaded by Nate Wallace (of Hearts Of Oak), who had a batch of tunes not quite suited for his full band work, he enlisted James Willmon on bass, Anna Verlet on violin/vocals and Mark Folkrod on drums/vocals to record these tunes live on a reel-to-reel tape machine.
“Billy #10” starts the listen with warm acoustic strumming as Wallace’s inimitable Bob Dylan-esque vocals enter alongside Verlet’s violin as the psyche-influenced backdrop sets the mood well, and this creativity continues to the folk friendly “Bicycle Thief”, where Verlet’s pipes add beauty to the country tinged delivery.
Elsewhere, “Twisted Moon” unfolds with a haunting quality to its rootsy climate, while “Hold On Now” recruits vocal harmonies amid cautious strumming. “How’s The Ice Captain?”, one of the quickest and best tunes present, then resides in indie-folk territory with charming melodies laid out in a very unpredictable landscape.
Closer to the end, “Beach Blanket Babylon” move cautiously with a retro feel and dreamy quality, and “Scars Align” brings multiple vocalists together on a light and atmospheric exit where much attention is paid to detail.
For a record that seems as if it was made on a whim, this effort came together quite nicely, and the primitive recording technique captures the psyche-folk ambience perfectly. It sounds like Wallace has plenty of songs looking for homes laying around, and if anymore show up as Radio Receiver, you’re not going to hear any complaints from me.
Travels well with: Jason Molina- Eight Gates; Hearts of Oak- Moves