BLITZEN TRAPPER

American Goldwing
Sub Pop [09/13/2011]

Blitzen Trapper may be its own worst enemy. With a name that offers no hint as to their musical orientation – not to mention a track record that’s found them pulling in disparate directions -- it’s been a bit of a challenge to get a handle on Blitzen Trapper’s intents. Fortunately, the band’s new album, American Goldwing, goes a long way towards making matters clearer. Following hot on the heels of their previous disc, the ambitiously-bannered Destroyer of the World, it settles into a comfortable country rock niche that consolidates earlier advances and erases many of the ambiguities that plagued them from the beginning.

Granted, there a couple of blurps here and there – the unruly squeal that kick-starts album opener “Might Find It Cheap” and the chaotic crunch that previews the down-home, back- porch plunk of “Street Fighting Sun” – but for the most part, the album finds a mellow, meandering stride that persists throughout. The rootsy “Fletcher” and a rugged, roughshod title track turn up the tempo and prove exceptions to the weary, rugged sway that pervades Blitzen ballads like “Girl in a Coat,” “Stranger in a Strange Land,” and “Taking It Easy Too Long.”

Those unfamiliar with band’s earlier efforts ought to find American Goldwing a good place to begin, while veteran admirers ought to find further reason for admiration.
--Lee Zimmerman

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