I’ve been trawling through the hard drive trying to catch up on some of the various bands I’ve downloaded at over the year. So one of the bands I seem to have snagged at some point or other is Treecreeper. And to be honest I’m kicking myself that it’s taken me a while to give it a proper listen.Treecreeper
Apparently (or so I hear) the rootsy Americana-type stuff that is coming out of the UK is getting a bit of a reputation in the US itself, and why not? There is of course a fair old tradition of Brits recycling American sounds and giving them a bit of a tweak in the process. Also (rather pleasingly) there is in Oklahoma a city called Newcastle which allows me all sorts of opportunities to make a “coals to Newcastle” joke, which I shall resist for as long as I can…
Treecreeper are four blokes from Wendover, the core of which seems to be brothers Will and Greg Burns, playing carefully constructed Country Rock songs which it is impossible not to compare to Son Volt or Wilco. Traditional American themes, such as change, regret and the natural landscape are well covered and the instrumentation is also traditional – banjos, harmonicas, and a good measure of reverb-driven guitar.
But any regular reader of this blog must know by now that I love all that stuff!
In truth, I guess Treecreeper aren’t yet taking the listener anywhere we haven’t already been, but the songs are strong and they are treated with such a deft touch that it is impossible not to love them.
Treecreeper are also buddies of another my favourite bands I’ve come across this year, The Tailors, and together they apparently run a roots evening in Brixton every month called Sadder Days at the Windmill. Sounds like a good time…
I’m posting two tracks here that come from their Myspace page (there are others available too). There is also an album available from Rough Trade called “Grain”.
Lament
When I Go
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