_{By Sam Andersen}

There’s a powerful quality of folk music that has the ability to poke one’s heart, to twist the emotional arm just enough to spark wistful introspection. It’s almost an oxymoron, how such a humble ensemble of acoustic instruments and a handful of voices could conjure such powerful feelings. It’s what keeps me coming back again and again to folk music. If I ever need to fully excavate the pain of a leaving lover, or of loneliness, or of abundant joy, I usually arrive at the earthy altar of folk. It’s this anxious communication of painful emotions that drives Josh Snider & the Attic Kids’ second EP, The Watchman. 

Despite my diligent digging on the internet, I could not find out much about these guys (much to my dismay). However, I did learn that they are originally from Portland, now based in Provo, and that they got their name from the fact that they have recorded all of their songs live in Josh Snider’s attic to a 4-track cassette recorder. In each song you can hear sonic artifacts of the band’s performance: the creak of a chair, the sliding of hands on strings, or soft words spoken just before a take. The hiss of the tape and the roomy sound of that attic create the perfect backdrop for these six songs that convey tales of love and longing, of self-doubt and faraway towns.

Each song is reminiscent of a typical 2010’s indie folk band, backed by guitar, banjo, brushed drums, viola, and subtle harmonies. However I think it’s Josh Snider’s voice that completes the sound of the band. If I had to describe it I’d say it’s a cross between Taylor Meir of Caamp and Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers (maybe add in a pinch of Robin Pecknold just for good measure). Snider’s voice flails and quivers with each line as if overcome with an earnestness to deliver each word to the listener’s ears. 

The Watchman begins with a few slow, disconsolate songs. My favorite of these is “Untitled Folk Song.” I think one of the reasons I enjoy this song so much is because it covers a religious struggle without compromising honesty or being overly religious. This emotional transparency makes the track so convincing. The EP then momentarily takes a more celebratory tone with “Wrong Time.” I love the beginning of this song. The guitar rebelliously introduces the song, which subsequently begins with a hearty “1, 2, 3, 4!” and a holler. The band erupts in such a way that distorts cassette tape for just a second. It really makes you want to get up and start dancing.

Of all the songs on the EP, I think that the closer/title track is my absolute favorite. On this evocative track, Josh Snider sings of his personal worries and woes, personified in the song as “the watchman.” Throughout the course of the track, Snider recounts his personal experiences with self-doubt and fear. This song is one in which the listener can feel heard.

Make sure to follow Josh Snider & the Attic Kids on Facebook and the frontman Josh on Instagram. You can listen to “The Watchman” below!