I’m always astonished by how little appreciation Richard Buckner gets. Perhaps it’s the overwhelmingly simplified genre tag of “Alt. Country” that makes it easy for some to overlook a songwriter that, in my opinion, is of the highest ilk. Luckily for his modest yet devoted fanbase (Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame included), Buckner returns with his first album of new material since 2006′s typically overlooked Meadow. Our Blood hearkens back to the smartly stripped-down fare of Devotion & Doubt and Since while incorporating subtle yet effective electronic flourishes. With contributions from pedal steel guitarist Buddy Cage, who played on Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks, and Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, Our Blood somehow achieves a sense of weighty complexity by brilliantly combining sparse textures. Lyrically, the album finds Buckner typically oblique, opting more for abstract emotion than succinct detail. On “Escape,” a blue-collar lament about everyday struggles and getting out of town, Buckner muses: “Without a fight/ They’ll never know we won.” It’s this sense of having gone through some shit and soldiered on that makes the weathered troubadour so captivating. Not to mention, his voice sounds as good as ever. Our Blood is Richard Buckner firing on all cylinders and it serves as a worthy introduction for listeners unfamiliar with this immensely talented songwriter. — Capt. Obvious

Listen:

Traitor.mp3

Escape.mp3