A bloodroot is a perennial wildflower native to forests in eastern North America, having a solitary white flower and a fleshy rootstock that exudes a poisonous red sap. So goes
Tandy's
Bloodroot Transcriptions, capable of causing harm by their sheer intensity, and otherwise beautiful. The bandmembers give their all here, and with the addition of bass-playing everyman Scott Yoder and lap steel stylist Drew Glackin, their sound -- folk-based alt-country -- is richly fleshed out. On "Might Shine Again," the muted dog barks at the song's opening summarize the album's mood: front-porch sensibility with an intelligence that shines through in singer/songwriter Mike Ferrio's overt reflection. Sitar and tabla add soothing harmonies to "Becky California" and "True Fine Love," and "New Candy Necklace" is a sweet love song full of yearning that drops reference to the McLemore Market in Memphis, Tennessee. In the vein of
Wilco's
Being There, truth is the main ingredient here: seeking it, revering it, longing for it, demanding it, and when it's not there, coveting it all the more. Genuine and hopeful,
Bloodroot Transcriptions steers clear of the irony that permeates much of modern music. ~ Travis Drageset