Weird Turn Prose

A little too experimental to be straight-out country and too countrified and honky-tonk to rightfully be considered alt-country, this latest release from Weird Turn Prose is nevertheless a sonically consistent and rewarding listen. It's obvious the songwriters didn't bother with genre considerations, and nowhere is this clearer than on the...

By Tom Murphy

October 29, 2009

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A little too experimental to be straight-out country and too countrified and honky-tonk to rightfully be considered alt-country, this latest release from Weird Turn Prose is nevertheless a sonically consistent and rewarding listen. It's obvious the songwriters didn't bother with genre considerations, and nowhere is this clearer than on the disc's three strongest tracks: "Jackrabbit" has the kind of dust, grit, tasty breakdowns and infectious melodies many Southern-rock bands aim for but often fail to reach; the socially conscious "We're Not Goin' Down" starts out conventionally enough and then shifts into beautifully bright atmospheres; and the jaunty introspection of "Personality (Wednesday Morning)" is reminiscent of latter-day Galaxie 500. With Sundowner, Weird Turn Prose makes Americana seem relevant and alive again rather than the musically atavistic impulse it's often been of late.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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