The album opens with ‘Divided By Animal’ which sets the tone for the album, a finger-picked paean to a simpler life and Weaver’s organic personal philosophy. It’s full of lines like “Whatever happens that’s all I ever want“ and ”Not rich by what I own but rich by what I let go.“ The second track, ‘Rambling Bones,’ follows a similar thread, opening with:

”The hills look like different kinds of fur in the morning
dirty wool-torn clouds blowing through the chinks in my day
neck-deep in the brambles holding pieces of the beast
bring the dogs to the river where the sea used to be.“

The song is the story of a wandering man, of a man who’s life is governed not by the economy or advertising agencies but by the rhythms of the natural world, a man ”out there looking for the last blank space on the map“. It reminded me strongly of a novel I read recently, The Road Home by Jim Harrison, and one character in particular (named Nelse) who wanders around America, living off the land and spending his days doing surveys of the local wildlife. Lots of Weaver’s lyrics seem incredibly relevant to the book, even when he isn’t describing the natural world. The line ”Freckles on her shoulders like birds on a deer / there’s nothing she won’t tell you after two sips of beer“ is especially apt as the only thing that can rival birds and plants for Nelse’s attention is the influence of a certain young woman.

The fourth track, ‘Dear Brown Earth’, is another stand-out, beginning with the ambient chattering of birds and the line ”Some days I go waking with the dog just to go where a dog wants to go.“ The song sounds like a frosty morning, you can almost see the watery light falling through gathering clouds and feel winter on the wind as dry browns leaves blow in drifts. ‘Low Ride’, the final track, is perhaps the best of all. An epic of over eight minutes, it has a wonderfully gentle and reflective cadence, flickering with firelight and the warmth of loved ones. It’s really, really beautiful and one of my favourite songs of the year so far.

”For you I’d burn a house down
I’d break a star from the sky
snow in the snow oaks
come sit by the fire
we’ll talk about the old days
and whittle out the night
get dizzy in the treetops
while the coyotes cry“

To support the new album, Weaver is embarking on a national bicycle tour entitled It’s All the River, in which he will perform at farms, bookstores, bicycle shops and small music venues. The tour will see him follow the course of the Mississippi, from Minneapolis to New Orleans. He aims to use volunteer projects (such as planting native species, prairie restorations and river cleanups), along with songs and poetry to connect audiences to the river and surrounding land. Check the list of tour dates if you’re interested in catching a show,

I’ll leave you with some words from the man himself, taken from his micro-site set up by Banjo Brothers:

“I Would Rather Be a Buffalo came from the thin places, in the forests I wander and the cities I ride. On most days there is a few feet of space between this world and the spirits, the places where I found I Would Rather Be a Buffalo were worn down to an inch or less. I’m willing to risk sentimentality or an over sincere jest to say these things, to preserve the rivers and box canyons, the needlework light in the tall pines, and the blank spaces on the map for wolves, bears and my heart to wander.”

You can buy I Would Rather Be a Buffalo via Hymie’s Records.

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The film revolves around the inhabitants of Bathtub, a fictional island off Louisiana. Six year-old Hushpuppy (played by Quvenzhane Wallis, who received an Oscar nomination for the part) has to cope with an unwell and increasingly volatile father, an apocalyptic storm and an apathetic world. There are clear Katrina hints and environmental themes, but there is also a beautiful story about family here too. It is so refreshing to see something that explores our relationship with the environment that does not paint everybody as evil or weak or vain. This film is upbeat despite the undeniably bleak message, it is something that celebrates our existence rather than condemning it. For me the film says: yes, humanity is to blame for a vast amount of damage and suffering (ecological or otherwise), but there is optimism in single humans, in individuals. Humans can be resiliant and tenacious and loving, and these are the very characteristics that can save us.

Anyway, back to the soundtrack. It was co-produced by Dan Romer and director Benh Zeitlin. The music, which is for the most part minimalist, feels part of the very fabric of the visuals and the story, as if the narrative could have been woven from the music just as easily as it was created the other way around. I’m not sure whether it is a completely fair observation (as I’m sure most movie composers work closely to match their work with the film in question) but I felt that it was apparent that the director had helped score his own film. 

It’s simple, just like the lives of the people of Bathtub. There is no flashy instrumentation, no thundering of a grand orchestra, just evocative and masterfully thought out music that adds an extra dimension to Hushpuppy’s view of her world. There are tracks that feature Cajun music (such as The Lost Bayou Ramblers, Leroy “Happy Fats” LeBlanc and the Balfa Brothers) and these are surrounded by the usually minimalist soundtrack, successfully portraying them as something Hushpuppy experiences in between or as well as her own mental soundtrack (i.e. the main soundtrack to the film). It is a clever concept that I’d guess would come across much better if you have seen the film.

Get the soundtrack from iTunes and the other usual places and have a listen on Spotify (boo!). Try and see the film if you can, it is a joyous watch. Check out the trailer below.

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