The official debut (not counting the solo basement recordings of singer/guitarist/percussionist Andy Cole) of Winnipeg trio Eagle Lake Owls is a five song snippet of better-than-your-average-folkie folk tunes that only hint at the unabashed potential within. Not only is the songwriting subtly blatant (think Eels) but it instantly takes you into the world of Cole and his characters. Fleshed out by the trumpet/glockesnpiel/vox of Dominique Lemoine and the cello of Nathan Krahn, such tracks as the delicate Little Brittle Bones and the back porch chanter Good God Damn excel, but it’s all about knowing when to keep it stripped and when to flesh it out, and the trio balances this incredibly well. If nothing else, check out the rawness of the whispers and yelps on Late Morning, a tune that begs to play during a montage of our hero pining over lost love.

Published in Volume 67, Number 26 of The Uniter (May 29, 2013)