ARTIST: Port O’Brien
TITLE: The Wind and the Swell
YEAR RELEASED: 2007
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: I Woke Up Today
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Not really
LINEUP: Van Pierszalowski, Cambria Goodwin, Caleb Nichols, Joshua Barnhart
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Bay area duo (later expanded) releases an album of their home brewed and single tracks before moving into a full band.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: Van Pierzalowski, an Alaskan Native, collaborated with Cambria Goodwin on a set of folky songs that are loose sing alongs, kind of goofy and strange and somewhat fun.
A lot of the songs feature just Pierzalowski and Goodwin, but some have a whole gaggle of folks singing in the back, while just a couple include the full band. They sound like they’re having fun and enjoying playing together. Because some of these are home recordings it’s a bit roughly recorded but that doesn’t detract a lot.
Port O’Brien moved to a full band after this, but at the heart they’re a loose, fun, folky songs.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: M. Ward called Port O’Brien his favorite new band in 2007.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: No
GRADE: B: Some sing-alongs with some fun songs.