Fire The Saddle – Four Feet Off The Ground
(Debauchery)

When I received this Fire The Saddle CD for review I didn’t really know what to expect, but when I popped it in my CD player all I found myself saying was, “What in tarnation? It looks like bluegrass, it sounds like bluegrass… but it’s not quite bluegrass!”

Based out of Louisville, Kentucky, these guys have taken a lot of their local influences and molded it into a sound that is somewhat unique. They have the southern twang and quirky instrumentation you would find on a Modest Mouse album, but they are full-fledged country afficionados. There’s banjo, mandolin, piano, violin, accordion and more — all instruments that can really fill out a band’s sound when used appropriately. What they don’t have is the awful drawling and crooning you would find in most modern country acts. Lead singers Mick and Tory have a distinct male/female vocal combination that is gentle and appealing.

As you can probably tell, bluegrass and country are about as far outside of my realm of musical expertise as you can get. It’s never been my cup of tea, and this album hasn’t changed that. Still, I find that I can tolerate this album much more than I would most other music in the genre, and I think folk and indie rock fans could probably get into this band too.

The opening track “Too Cold To Dance” makes you want to shake off the frost and get those legs moving, and a good number of other songs like “Faith In Me” and “Contact” have a steady strumming rhythm and an infectious energy about them. It’s also perhaps inevitable that a newbie like myself would find the song “In The Dark” reminiscent of the Dukes of Hazzard theme, but is there anything wrong with that? However, there are also some delicate ballads on this album that showcase a whole other dimension to the band. In fact, there are more mellow songs on the record than upbeat ones, which is not a bad thing. Although some of the slow songs are a little too subdued for my taste, others are high points of the album. “Silk and Oil” is one of the strongest songs, with its stripped down acoustic sound and wistful chorus, and “Apartment” is a simple but catchy ode to the life of a starving musician.

Four Feet Off The Ground is an impressive debut album from a band that has managed to meld together country influences with folk and rock to make a pretty unique sound overall. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you like a little bit of southern flavour with your indie rock, this is what you’ve been waiting for. — Sean