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album reviews “This is a remarkably weighty and mature debut. Taking the simple, timeless stories of the everyman--caught between home and beyond, moving on and looking back-- and framing those stories in an equally timeless but contemporary way is something few bands manage…” Robin Cracknell, Americana UK - full review "…Loaded with more harmonies than the records of the Band, and piling on just enough instrumentation (from a reserved Rhodes and Hammond B3 to a mournful viola (played by the lovely and talented guest artist Jolie Holland) to make the mind reel, without sounding overproduced like so many other releases, “Last of the Blacksmiths” is a record that is both timeless and refreshingly new in its perspective and goals.” - Grant Capes, indie workshop - full review SAN FRANCISCO’S LAST OF THE BLACKSMITHS began recording their first full-length in March 2004. Using a Tascam 388 (a 1980’s era eight-channel mixing board-slash-1/4” reel-to-reel recorder, of which only seven channels worked), the band committed to tape—live—more than a dozen of the prettiest, soulful songs you ever did hear (or in your case, are about to). They spent the following months mixing and adding to the tunes with similarly-minded players like Jolie Holland and Matt Henry Cunitz. The result is really a masterpiece of an album. The Blacksmiths, whether on stage or on record, reach places musically that take most bands years to find. They transcend time, in their understanding and translation of American blues, folk, rock, and old-timey melodies; tone, in a respect for open space within the music and focused playing of their instruments; harmony, in the way their voices blend together so effortlessly; and rhythm, by confidently relying on a synergy and feel that exists amongst them—they’re neither slow nor fast, just perfectly unrestrained. Listening to the music they make will release all the tension from your body and take you to a better place. Every time. - RH, Thrasher Magazine - full review and interview “…It is one of the more traditional folk records that you should listen to on headphones to catch everything and how this band works together, bringing all the parts into one amazing body of work...” - Josh Honn, Uncommon Folk - full review San Franciscos Last Of The Blacksmiths craft Americana of the traditional variety, but ease their folk through haunting lo-fi, indie-rock filters. Heavy with space, the sparse tunes that populate this disc are sorrow filled and bare, dark and lonely, rich with plaintive, but well-harmonied, vocals. They draw inspiration from traditional folk as well as modern indie rock. "Columbus Stockdale Blues" is a longstanding traditional tune, and their performance keeps it straight, with the exception of swelling Hammond B3 and a bandy lectric guitar solo. In contrast, tracks like "Pushing Down" jump from the haze with its soulful groove and explosive guitar. Among a small handful of guests, youll find Jolie Holland dragging bow across viola and violin for a couple of tunes. Many of which feature doleful electric piano and lazy, percussive drumming, wile some have mandolin and other light touches if intrigue. (self-released) - miles of music This self-titled debut album from San Francisco band Last of the Blacksmiths has all the makings of a serious altcountry-substance abuse problem. "Saloon Song" surges and subsides like a night at the local watering hole with your equally down-on-his-luck drinking buddy -- one minute, it's up, dancing along at a jaunty clip, the next it's slobbering over a sluggish organ melody. "Tree Song" stumbles around at a heroin-lethargic pace, teetering dangerously on the edge with lyrics like "Ran right out of your house/ Thinking, why should they die instead of me?" Lead singers Nathan Wanta's and Nigel Pavao's alternating voices trickle through each track like a morphine drip, sounding exhausted and slightly out-of-tune, numbing and blurring the melodies. There are moments of lighter-hearted sobriety ("Columbus Stockade Blues," a nice jam-band-y ramble through the rural territory of Carter Family harmonies and banjos, for example), but for the most part, the Blacksmiths wallow utterly in their enticing, near-lethal altcountry excess, and this is very much a good thing. - Rachel Devitt, SF Weekly By the use of old organs, hushed drums, guest-star violin players and lyrics written years ago by a band member’s grandfather, Last of the Blacksmiths have crafted one of the best local albums to come out in recent years. Their live show is a treat of harmonies, somber melodies and a swooning, bittersweet vibe. - Amoeba Music "I ran mad out of your house thinking why should they die instead of me." "I'm so glad you were born twenty six years ago, before televisions were in cars. When it was good enough to stare outside your window at the moving stuff." That fantastic line / poem / statement is just one of the many (many) contained within the dozen dazzling songs last of the blacksmiths have crafted on their self-titled debut. The nostalgic importance of this one lifted quote also tells quite a bit about the 'blacksmiths' relaxed style and influence - said influence a band might get more from atmosphere & location than from any album collection I have ever seen. And lyrics, handwritten (and cursive loops & t's at that) lyrics - these fellas are the genuine article when it comes to the analog-vs-digital age of artists. And hey - this group picture: 4 musical friends - all seated - with a backdrop of silver streamers and skeleton decor that ,from what I've been told, is quite close to the live performances. Marvelous. On record, musical comparisons could prove fatal in the line of summing up the facts that these blacksmiths have indeed dedicated to tape. All said, most folks reading reviews need some path to follow - so I will say this: think of the finest Hayden Desser moments you've heard (likely tougher to find a 'not-so fine moment'), then add to that a band that has experienced hands on acoustic guitars, mandolins and a trunk of wonder labeled "Americana Sweetness" [in this trunk you may dig up a pump organ, a violin and a few rustic harmonicas]. This trunk may just be the storage bin from Wilco's historic Being There sessions. I mean we have 4 guys from the Bay (SF,CA) reeling out traditional tunes about Georgia while wishing they were in Tennessee (on "Columbus Stockade blues"). .. last of the blacksmiths is significantly greater than any music being made in any corner of the map. The lyrical depth on each of these songs (see: "Grass Blade", "Saloon Song") is so well-thought and properly placed - I haven't been this awed since I came across Portland's Al James putting his poetry to song and trading it as Dolorean. I declare this day, from here on forward, shall be referred to as 'last of the blacksmiths' day. I would give you the entire year, if only I had the power. Find this album, it will protect you from each of the 7 evils that 'other music' are attempting to bait you with. Plus, you deserve it. - k @ slightly confusing to a stranger Their full-length debut album has been described as a "serious altcountry-substance abuse problem." You can hear the songs roll off so effortlessly, you kind of tilt your head to one side and look out the window and just don't want to move. All of this thanks to Last of the Blacksmiths. Their self-titled debut is full of intricate little details and pleasant sounds which just may be one of the better records I have heard recently. "They transcend time, in their understanding and translation of American blues, folk, rock, and old-timey melodies; tone, in a respect for open space within the music and focused playing of their instruments; harmony, in the way their voices blend together so effortlessly; and rhythm, by confidently relying on a synergy and feel that exists amongst them—they’re neither slow nor fast, just perfectly unrestrained." - south of the mainstream ...a very impressive group of musicians that have crafted, with dodgy equipment and a few rolls of gaffer tape by the sounds of it, an album that they can be truly proud of. I like these Blacksmiths, I really do. They’re a somber bunch and I can’t see me playing the album when I’m getting ready to paint the town red but for those moments when I need to clear my mind, or just want to relax with a bottle of Ruby Cabernet, this will do very nicely indeed. It’s cool, it’s calm and it’s reflective, as I have mentioned before and I suggest you check this out. I sincerely hope this isn’t the last I hear from the Last of the Blacksmiths... - Damian Leslie, (full review incendiary mag) Last of the Blacksmiths carries on the well-worn tradition of rural American music which, in the years since the Jayhawks and Uncle Tupelo made mandolins cool again, has seen a number of worthy torch-bearers. On their self-titled debut, these four Californians (one via El Paso, Texas) make no attempt to reinvent the wheel, opting instead to remind us all how simple and beautiful the wheel can be when made with skill and care. Opener "Knowing Me" employs somber vocals, light accordion and dreamy slide guitar, blending each element into a subtle, impressive ballad. The traditional "Columbus Stockade" treads the fine line between Harry Smith-esque traditionalism and the more rustic moments of Workingman's Dead. The standout track is "Russian River", which opens as a stark semi-blues before flowering into gorgeous major key refrain featuring perfect Fender Rhodes-playing and vocal interplay between dual lead singers Nathan Wanta and Nigel Pavao. "Tree Song" is a sparse dirge, while "Pushing Down" shakes things up with a nervous, Talking Heads-in-a-pick-up beat, complete with sharp stop/starts, a paranoid bass line, and a strange acoustic coda. "Pete McKenzie" is a warm folk shuffle, leaning heavily on some delicate mandolin playing and swelling vocal harmonies. "In My Hands" and "Out at Night" are two standouts, the former of the quiet lullaby variety, and the latter of the ominous rumination variety. The lengthy "Saloon Song" is all heartbreak and electric piano, whereas "A New Way" is laid back countrified pop a la high-water Son Volt. "Conrad's Rag" is a spare, Tom Waits-esque instrumental piece complete with creepy guitar and dramatic accents. Last of the Blacksmiths ends with the exquisite "Grass Blade", a lonely heartache of a song that showcases the strong points of Last of the Blacksmiths: focused, understated instrumentation, a collective will toward song above all, and straightforward, yet sublime lyrics like: "I'm so glad you were born/26 years ago/Before televisions were in cars/When it was good enough/To stare outside your window at the moving stuff". Don't pick up Last of the Blacksmiths because you want to hear the latest laser sounds of the vanguard, pick it up because you love song craft and the magic of simple music. Check out their site for info on how to get this outstanding release. - Rooney, www.bluemag.com I love the genuine sound of the vocals as he croons about, giving us this intimate portrayal of exactly what’s going on in that noggin of his. Their sound is folk rock meets alt.country with lo-fi intentions but hi-fi results. While this may be their first full-length album it sounds like their twentieth due to the sheer mature sound that while typically dour in groove and lyrical content, somehow picks it up. This my friends, is the soundtrack to everything chilled and depressing in the world and it sounds beautiful. “Tree Song” is astonishing with the string arrangement propelling the song along the vacant highway of folk rock. - J-Sin, smother.net Calm tempos and energizing harmonies fuel hypothetical sun-filled highway drives with the windows half down … in the back of your mind you know you’re on the way to somewhere great with Last of the Blacksmiths as the soundtrack. This full-length CD (self-titled and self-released) by these locals teeters down a mostly mellow lane, rich with analog goodness, true honesty and soulfulness – a refreshing change in today’s louder-and-faster-is-better scene. Slow down, speedy people, and take in the indie-Americana vibe; there’s more beneath the surface than just twangy vocals and two-part harmonies. There is air between the notes and it is clear this band isn’t just in a hurry to get to the bridge like so many others. Last of the Blacksmiths conveys a misty Sunday afternoon in the Sunset at points but, not to corner this CD as rainy-day music, it makes me long for a sunny day on an empty beach with an umbrella and a lover. Call it indie-folk, lo-fi country, whatever. It’s beautiful, heartfelt American music made without Marshall stacks and refrigerator-sized amps. Last of the Blacksmiths pack more punch with their sparseness and looseness than most in-yer-face, loud-as-shit rock bands. Take out your earplugs and take that to the bank. - Ben Tuttle, skinny mag live reviews “Like veins of ore running through mountain rock, wispy American narratives hide in the songwriting traditions of folk and country music for determined miners to excavate. The Last of the Blacksmiths melt down and shape this precious history with a skill worthy of their name, fashioning songs that are sharp enough to cut to the bone but beautiful enough that listeners welcome the pain. With meandering guitar strums and reflective pedal steel stopping just short of twang, the Blacksmiths tap the familiar American archetype of the misunderstood drifter. However, vocalist Nathan Wanta's reedy legato adroitly strains lyrics that update this aging trope by portraying a psychic, rather than physical, wanderer, as emotions and philosophy become the new lonely frontiers.” - Keith Axline, SF Bay Guardian "Last of the Blacksmiths are a wildly talented San Francisco band that makes sparse, harmony-rich music that vibrates with organic warmth. The two main singers trade guitar, Fender Rhodes, and mandolin as the bassist plucks restrained notes and the drummer plays subtle brushes. Their music is slow and stark, evoking an American scene where The Band stays up all night in the dark reinterpreting Cat Power's Moon Pix. Songs like "Grass Blade" and "The Records" are somber dirges whose analog elegance slowly spills over. The band's strongest attribute is their feel - they sound as if they've been playing together for a decade. On stage they're mild and unassuming, yet their musicianship and quiet confidence set them apart from nearly every other upstart band. This could be the best band in San Francisco right now that no one knows about." - Rooney, www.bluemag.com “San Francisco's Last of the Blacksmiths makes music that could be the soundtrack to rain. Dark, harmonic, meandering, lonely -- it's the sort of stuff you want to put on and then sit down somewhere in the gloom to contemplate your sorrows with a beer in one hand. The band's often-stark tunes are enlivened with artfully wandering-in-and-out-of-key vocals and creative instrumentation, but not the "Wow, we're playing a lampshade with a saw!" showoffy range of outfits like Olivia Tremor Control. Instead the unusual sounds peek through for one brilliant moment between guitars and drum: here a mandolin, there a flourish of '60s organ. It all makes for a style that's hard to pin down or describe, but dreamily sweet to hear.” - SF Weekly “…With all of them sitting down and concentrating so intently on making music, it felt a bit like being in a recording studio with them, which was neat. Together, they made a profoundly reflective, dynamic sound to which we were asked to bring the character and patience of serious listeners. Not the stuff of shuffle play, folks.” - Playing In Fog