Review: Old Smokey – Wester Easter

While there is no shortage of folk music being produced today, there is, however, in that massive effort, a shortage of originality and creativity. Old Smokey has the remedy for the stale folk recipe we all know. They shake things up on every track with instrumentation and arrangements that all at once conjure an old timey feeling, but are still far from the traditional. “All The Way Slow” stands out, as the band jams out on this ‘60s flavored rocker that feels comfortable amongst the earthy banjo and other string tunes. So much of this record is instrumental, but the impressive thing is how much of a story can still come through in a song without lyrics—a song like “Leggy” has so much texture and color to it, it’s is easy to feel a narrative, or maybe it’s simply a beautiful backdrop for the listener to set their own story into.
–James Orme