Micah Blue Smaldone - Red River Rough Cut

I can't tell you alot about this release because I cannot find a whole lot of information about it (or I'm just lazy). I know that there is an album called Red River, and this EP is called Red River Rough Cut; ummmm, I know that he plays in Fire On Fire (with Big Blood/Cerberus Shoal members); I know that this is a ballin' EP. Oh yeah, and Micah Smaldone used to play in a political punk band called The Pinkterton Thugs.

I listened to the Red River album just before for the first time, thinking that perhaps it would be a better idea to blog the LP rather than the EP. However I really do not like it as much. This EP has only guitar and vocals, it is so raw and I love it. Whereas on the LP he has backing by other musicians. It really just does not have as good a vibe as this EP. Mr. Smaldone can sure as hell play the guitar like a goddamn motherfucker. The first track hooked me instantly when I first listened to this. It is an unaccompanied guitar peice, in the style of american privitism-type solo guitar work. There is much less going on in this song than all of the the other music I have heard in this style. He starts with this melody that has a sort of eastern feel (I am not doing a very good job at describing this), and as the song progresses he resolves this somewhat unfamiliar melody.

The second track is the title track on the LP (the tracks on the EP are all untitled). It is probably the best song that I have heard from Micah Smaldone. He has a really great voice, which complements his really great guitar playing. It is a really affecting, fragile song, with downright awesome lyrics. The 3 songs after this are also fucking genius. This dude is goddamn mind-blowing.

I can't think of much else to say about this... The production is absolutely amazing. His voice and guitar are recorded really nicely. The production does a great deal to complement his songs and playing. Do yourself a favour and download this, it is so so very good. Definitely one of my favourite recent discoveries.

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