Album:

To the Stars On the Wings of a PigArtist: The FoghornsLabel:

Beefy Beef RecordsRelease Date:

Out NowTo the Stars on the Wings of a Pig by The FoghornsFoghorns’ absurdly titled LP opens with an ominous thud on the piano, a desperate strum on the guitar, and the repeated moaning of “Please, don’t you leave me now.” You can hear drums, faintly, rustling and stirring in the background, intended to be felt more than heard. Halfway through opener, “Please Don’t Leave,” an accordion enters the gentle country melee. For 45 minutes, Pig scarcely rises above a simmer. Songs run together, and there’s faint textural and tempo distinction between the album’s 10 tracks. The Foghorns aren’t reaching for new ground, but are comfortable being themselves, well insides the plucky intersection of saloon-ready twang and urban folk. This should be blase, repetitive, and numbingly obnoxious. But it’s not. Its effortless, cool demeanor blunts any hint of redundancy. Pig is one of the most substantially listenable local albums of the year; easy to access, and hard to put down. It’s soothing and comforting in the right ways, without being excessive or cheap. Its subtleties – hints of organ and accordion — are smooth, but smart. Easy listening doesn’t have to mean easily forgotten. CKFollow us on Facebook and Twitter.