Wake The Deaf isn’t a website for musical criticism, we only write about albums and artists that we like and listen to ourselves on a regular basis. As a result, due to my gravitation toward a certain brand of traditional/organic folk music, I am at serious risk of repeating myself every time I want to wax lyrical about my new favourite.
A lot of what I want to say about Asheville’s Wes Tirey and his latest EP, I Stand Among Trees, has already been said this year about Small Houses and John Moreland, and I find myself trying to avoid painting them as slight variations of the same thing, some identikit brand of man with guitar. This would be extraordinarily unfair, sort of like criticising Flannery O’Connor and Cormac McCarthy because they both use a pen and paper to share their stories.
The literary comparison is no coincidence – I Stand Among Trees is a literate EP, a collection of atmospheric and evocative songs that owe as much to the American masters of writing as they do to Dylan and Van Zandt.
This fantastic interview with Hearth Music gives an insight into the writing process for a few of the songs. It not only confirms my original thoughts but also giving a new point of view, especially on ‘Wild Beasts’ where Tirey’s citation of McCarthy’s Blood Meridian (one of my favourite books, like, ever) takes the track on to a whole new level of bare desolation, conjuring a hostile and empty landscape of insects and dust.
I Stood Among Trees by Wes Tirey
Indeed the whole EP can be viewed through this bloodly lens. Consider ‘Final Resting Place’:
“The concrete is a-crumbling
The blind man is a-mumbling
Everyone is running for their life”
…and:
“The drummer’s are a-drumming
Even Lucifer’s a-running
I saw him from the corner of my eyeMaybe Jesus is a-coming
Wouldn’t that be something
But who could live by such a lie”
You can almost hear the hooves of Glanton’s men, the terrible breathing of Judge Holden. This really is stirring stuff.
Obviously the EP isn’t about cowboys, but hopefully those who have read the book know what I mean (I told you I was struggling to sound original). Anyway, With I Stood Among Trees, Tirey claims his rightful place among my favourite folk artists this year, and I will certainly be keeping an eye on what he does next.
You can get the EP on Bandcamp for whatever price you think is appropriate. or you can get a lovely physical copy for $5 (also check out Tirey’s Home Demos while you are there). If you are a fan, there is also a very interesting Indiegogo called ‘Wesley in Italy‘ where you can get nice things in return for your coin that will hopefully send Tirey on tour next January around various Italian towns and cities.