BUTTON MAGAZINE: ALBUM REVIEW

Blitzen Trapper

Black River Killer EP

93%

As the title says, Blitzen Trapper’s Black River Killer EP starts out with their haunting and stellar song of the same name from 2008’s Furr. “Black River Killer” is a wonder in both songwriting and execution that evokes the story-telling days of Bob Dylan. While the rest of the songs on the EP never top “Black River Killer,” the song serves as a jumping-off point for songs that experiment more with the folk-rock formula. “Going Down” and “Preacher’s Sister’s Boy” are full of layered instruments and synthesized notes that manage to work together to create a sound that is uniquely Blitzen Trapper and surprisingly charming. The EP is well-balanced thanks to “Shoulder Full of You,” a romantic acoustic tune, and “Black Rock,” a simple and beautiful song backed by rhythmic guitar picking. The EP ends with “Big Black Bird,” which has the folk-rock appeal that made Furr such a success. The only tragedy of this EP is that it’s not a full-length album from this talented Portland band.