Strangefolk, Lore

In college, I went with a friend to see a show that featured Percy Hill and Strangefolk; I was a big, huge Percy Hill fan, and my friend was a big, huge Strangefolk fan. Both were local acts from New Hampshire and Vermont, respectively. I remember thinking, even at that show, that Percy Hill's musicianship and innovation far outdistanced Strangefolk's. Strangefolk's chief advantage was that they could rock fairly effectively. Percy Hill felt like it had been formed by a group of music majors; Strangefolk seemed to have emerged from someone's parents' garage or basement.

Their album gives me the same vibe. The first few tracks could passably be included on an indie version of Guitar Hero. The music feels strong, if not particularly inspired. (I just checked their website; apparently, they're still around, though with only two of the original members. Percy Hill went through a similar membership metamorphosis, though I think they've wisely allowed themselves to trail off.) Some of the last few songs on this album are real clunkers, though. And by 'the last few,' I mean the last two-thirds of the tracks. Check out this lyric from "Alaska," which pissed me off in particular: "When Jimmy Carter made the National Arctic Refuge / he could see the heart of the world in an eagle's eye." Stuff like this is so inelegant and it rings so false. I could see a band like the Indigo Girls pulling something like this off because they're overtly political. But Strangefolk seemed to brand themselves as simpleton hippie rockers. Listen to Dr. Dog's song "Alaska" to see how much better a song about the far north can be.