Threadbare

by Port O'Brien

Overview

Port O'Brien's 2007 debut helped established the nomadic collective in the upper tier of the wind-swept, Pacific Northwest folk scene. Like Fleet Foxes or Blitzen Trapper, the band's penchant for dreamy, reverb-heavy forays into the wilds of the rainy Northern California coastlines elicited numerous comparisons to indie folk demigods like Will Oldham and Jason Molina, and their blue collar day jobs (crabbers, bakers, and canners) brought an authenticity to the songs that most landlocked bands looking for the ocean in a cornfield with a conch shell lack. 2009's Threadbare follows in its predecessor's wet footsteps, and the death of a bandmember's sibling casts a long shadow over the project that sadly meshes beautifully with the outfit's sparsely delivered, yet emotionally rich sound. Bookended by a pair of oddly infectious laments called "High Without the Hope 3" and "High Without the Hope 72," Threadbare is most compelling when it's operating at half speed. Stand-out cuts like the aforementioned "High Without Hope 3," "Next Season," and the brooding title cut feel distinctly of the moment, and while the more upbeat tracks on Threadbare are competent and downright catchy, they're ultimately engulfed by the fog from which they were born. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	10/06/2009
Label:	Tbd Records
UPC:	0880882168315
Rank:	109668

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Port O'Brien   Primary Artist
Matt Fish   Cello
Daphne Chen   Viola,Violin
Derek Brown   Drums

Technical Credits

Aaron Espinoza   Producer,Mixing
Jason Borger   Arranger
Port O'Brien   Producer,Mixing
Ryan Stively   Layout Design,Composer
Cambria Goodwin   Photography,Composer
John Pierszalowski   Cover Photo
Van Pierszalowski   Composer
Jason Quever   Instrumentation,Producer,Mixing