Featured Album this Week (5/3/11): “October’s Road” by Balto
Work has been getting the best of me lately, so I apologize for the less frequent blog posts here on Tight Mix. I’m hoping things will pick up again soon!
This week’s featured album arrives a day late, but not because I am any less enthused or into this album. Brought to my attention by @ArkArsenal on Twitter, this album has a great sound, and an even greater back story.
When Daniel Sheron abandoned his familiar life in Moscow, Russia and wandered into Siberia by himself, he began to write songs about what was happening to him in that strange, desolate country. Though desolate, Daniel encountered many people in his travels, and incorporated them into the songs he was writing.
In the fall of 2010, Daniel traveled to America with his songs, under the pseudo-name “Balto.” In December, he rounded up six of his friends to record the songs he had been working on for months.
According to the liner notes, “October’s Road” was recorded in one day. I had to read it twice, because I couldn’t believe my eyes. Quite amazing, really, considering the final output sounds damn good!
“October’s Road” is folk rock sprinkled with incredible lyrics that paint beautiful pictures of Daniel’s experiences in Siberia. The album does a nice job of changing pace which I like — it’s not stuck on one speed which can be the case with some more popular folk records. I particularly love the transition between “Kirov Factory” and “Elizabeth the Bumblebee.”
While I love the songs themselves, there are noticeable imperfections in harmony, the occasional missed note, and some strange mixes. Normally I’d be turned off by that stuff, but the artifacts on this album actually give the songs more personality. I’ve been listening to them (on repeat) for the last three days.
You can purchase “October’s Road” on Bandcamp for a mere $4 (or more if you’re feeling generous). I gladly paid $6 for it.
