#ohtis

digital collages for my favorite albums 1/?: curve of earth, ohtis 

dad never had to fight ‘em back with his eyes before each day was done

         now he’s fightin’ with the devil in the kitchen on his knees, praying

 "please resign the soul of my son"

          i want to ask the lord jesus christ to punch out my lights 

and curse god out of curiosity

          the only time i’m not completely full of shit 

is when i’m twisting up the truth

it's not difficult

Over ten years since their last, Sam Swinson, Adam Pressley and Nate Hahn are proving just how compelling contemporary folk can still be. Tinged with Americana and chamber rock modesty, Curve of Earth is a wonderful record detailing Swinson’s encounters as an addict. From opener, ‘Pervert Blood’, there’s a clear frankness to Swinson’s meandering tone that is as captivating as the stories he tells. Addiction is at the centre of this record. It’s unflinchingly inward-looking, never clearer than when Swinson’s voice cracks and the sincerity is made clear and very, very real. Highlights include ‘Runnin’, a song made up of odes to friends and family members while the author is in the throes of drug addiction. The “running” metaphor is charming and the hook is catchy, and those two features amount to the appeal of much of Curve of Earth. Hahn’s multi-instrumentalism then adds another element to the record that isn’t necessarily a feature of usual marks of the genre. The violins in ‘Little Sister’, the lovely and weird squealing under the chorus of ‘Diggin’, or just the general depth of instrumentation on tracks like ‘Rehab’ and ‘Black Blood’, are all exceptionally pleasant instrumentals to accompany the songwriting of Swinson and Pressley. Curve of Earth is an underrated gem in this year’s folk releases, a project that assembles all its components exceptionally.