WITNESS

Live album by this band who are currently based in Vermont. To describe their sound, I'd say an American indie pop band with Appalachian folk tendencies got lost in Stravinsky and avant-jazz fusion. There's a whole lot of hammered dulcimer, played by lead vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Damon Waitkus, who sings a little like Todd Pipes from Deep Blue Something. Their sound is further set apart by a full-time violinist (Waitkus' wife Emily Packard) and bassoonist, along with a particularly inventive rhythm section. Waitkus' lyrics are invariably emotionally resonant, maturely literate observations about American life. He jokes during his stage banter that they're often about old men dying. I'll bet this was an unusual and memorable live experience. The Gentle Giant-y instrumental, "Salt Moon" is a musical highlight, but it's worth listening closely to the stories being told in the vocal tracks as well.