One Track Mind

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Wait for it.

The first couple minutes of “Into the Woods” require a little bit of patience. They are filled with a romantic sense of desolation, piano chords hanging heavy in the air like so much humidty. After much atmosphere, quavering organ chords conspire with a sumptuous bit of violin to provide a slight release. Things go dark, a fade to black, before Telegraph Canyon opens the spigot and pours out their organized cacophony.

“Into the Woods” is the opening track to the Fort Worth, Texas band’s sophomore full-length, The Tide and the Current, which will be released this coming Tuesday, and it sounds like an introduction–to a record, to a band, to a sound. There are reference points, to be sure; in Chris Johnson’s voice, there are undeniable echoes of early My Morning Jacket, and the band shares common ground with Centro-Matic, whose Will Johnson produced the record. But you need only look at the instruments played by the band to understand they are doing their own thing: banjo, mandolin, violin, vibes, pedal steel, and synthesizers all figure into the mix. For some bands, this would be quirkiness for quirk’s sake, but Telegraph Canyon have a clear mission to the music they are producing.

After one listens to the second half of “Into the Woods,” the first half makes more sense. It’s the good behavior you have to endure before receiving your reward, but on another level, one without the other just wouldn’t be the same. This song shows the band has a mature, measured approach to songwriting, one that is tidal–it rolls in, then out, then comes back again, never forced, just flowing along, like the title of the album in question.

Telegraph Canyon won’t appeal to all listeners, but those who are receptive to their experimental Americana will find a sound that is both soulful and thoughtful.