Southern California seems an unlikely place for an old-time string band. After all, string bands are not the first thing that come to mind when you see a lot of beige condos with tile roofs. Still Moonsville Collective is a string band that does pretty well for itself – particularly in Orange County. Heavy Howl may not remind you of beige condos, but it is an album that will get you stomping your feet.
Right off the bat you realize what an anachronism Moonsville Collective is. The instrumentation is pretty similar to Appalachian music. It’s not exactly bluegrass, although it is close – especially when you hear the multi-part harmony vocals. This is the kind of sound you might expect to hear from a band playing on a front porch or in a barn. All the members in the band show some prowess with…
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…their instruments. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself listening intently just to try to figure out how the guys do it.
While you’ll hear plenty of old-time sounds, you’ll also find some modern sounds. “Rollin’ in Paradise” brings to mind bands like Yonder Mountain String Band and String Cheese Incident – especially with the rolling banjo part. This is a great song for a road trip, and it will make you want to belt it out the windows to any nearby cars.
It’s impossible to ignore the harmony vocals on this album. Furthermore, it’s impossible not to think about The Band when you hear how these guys harmonize. You’ll find good examples throughout the album, but “Chicago” is a particularly strong display of harmonies.