Small Fires
INgrooves
The Stone Foxes refined their San Francisco blues-rock sound over two albums (three if you count “Black Rolling Thunder,” a CD-R they made for friends in 2006 whose title track was reprised on their self-titled official debut in 2008). After 2010’s “Bears & Bulls,” the group lost second guitarist Avi Vinocur, added keyboardist Elliott Peltzman and decided it was time to experiment. The quartet focused on lyrics, abandoned their Fox Den garage studio in favor of a real one and brought in Doug Boehm (Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers) to engineer and help produce.
“Small Fires” was funded partly by fans through PledgeMusic, allowing the band to preserve their artistic integrity. They booked The Carriage House in Los Angeles for 12 days and recorded a song per day (no confirmed plans yet for the two outtakes).
Opening track “Everybody Knows” might indicate a penchant for murder ballads, as it’s based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart” and follows “I Killed Robert Johnson” from the last album. Drummer Shannon Koehler’s harmonica provides well-placed contrast and a couple of mini-solos.
“Ulysses Jones,” about a man who doesn’t want to lose his home to foreclosure without a fight, gives the first real taste of Peltzman’s formidable prowess on the Fender Rhodes, while the Wilco-like “So Much Better” showcases his organ work as well as Shannon’s brother Spence’s intense electric and acoustic guitar stylings.
Other highlights are the mysterious “Cold Wind,” about crack-toothed Jimmy and his unwillingness to take ownership of his blunders; “Talk to Louise,” possibly the only song to pay homage to The Band and the Rolling Stones simultaneously; the American Indian-sounding “Jump in the Water,” featuring killer bass from Aaron Mort; and “Goodnight Moon,” the lone track that proves the Stone Foxes haven’t lost their country credentials.
Tracks
1. Everybody Knows
2. Ulysses Jones
3. So Much Better
4. Cotto
5. Small Fires
6. Battles, Blades & Bones
7. Cold Wind
8. Talk To Louise
9. Jump In The Water
10. Goodnight Moon
Total time: 39:27
External links
artist’s website
amazon.com
iTunes Store
