Joseph Allred’s music contains multitudes. Either playing completely solo with just a single instrument or multiple instruments, or with a roster of supporting musicians behind them, they always channel a vast array of styles, moods and influences into their pieces. This particular record began as a solo affair, but it beautifully bloomed into a lush and densely packed album with a whole cast of gifted collaborators, including Hans Chew on piano and brother Mikey Allred on trombones.

With pump organ, amplified banjo, electric cello and a whole cornucopia of other distinctive instruments backing behind them, Allred’s album became a deeply textural and atmospheric kaleidoscope of surreal Americana.

From the bluesy circus funeral march that is “Tracks in the Snow,” to the dreamlike waltzing steampunk epic, “Ditch Lily Suite,” to the mind-expanding bottleneck slide/80s synth hybrid that is “Moon Dance,” there is a vast variety to be found on this album.

Yet, there is also a consistent thread of America’s musical history, spanning across many generations and regions, that flows through these songs. It’s folk music in the sense that these are the ghosts and legacy of the people’s music, from the 1700s on to today, all being heard at once.

Allred references Tom Waits being an influence in the Bandcamp liner notes, and he is one of the few artists that come to mind when I think of a similar combination of traditions and styles being moulded together into something new and interesting. Yet, that is not to say that Allred’s album sounds like a Waits release, in fact, it’s an incredibly unique beast that stands on its own. This is a total singularity not only in Allred’s extensive discography, but also within the entire folk music canon. We are blessed to witness its release in our lifetime.

Get your copy on vinyl or digital from Scissor Tail Records today.

-KH