Shakey Graves Brings Intrigue from Austin [stream]

The music of Austin-based Shakey Graves (@shakeygraves), aka Alejandro Rose-Garcia, transports listeners to a place that rarely seems to exist anymore. With earnest harmonica draped over raw, slightly syncopated banjo and handclaps, opening track “Unlucky Skin” sets the scene well, conjuring images of rural Texas at its most simple and authentic. What follows on his debut album, Roll the Bones, is a series of bare, pleading tracks that rely on melody and storytelling rather than flourish.

At it’s core, Roll the Bones, capitalizes on very lo-fi recording techniques — a solid decision given the grit and texture of the songs. In many cases, the album seems like a single recording rather than pieces of individual tracks, and the result is a very intimate experience. In fact, “City In a Bottle”, a bona fide live recording, sounds sonically similar to the rest of the album (not surprising given that Garcia puts on a one-man live show).

In the end, Shakey Graves represents Austin perfectly. Imbued with the best that southern folk and flavor has to offer, the music carries hints of something slightly less rustic — the beat and guitar riff featured on “Business Lunch” and the slightly electro-twang intro on “Roll the Bones” offer contrasts to enhance rather than contradict. Underlying each song, though, is a certain, indescribable intrigue. The vocals resonate with a tone halfway between awake and asleep, and the daydreams are often very dark.

Still not convinced? Check out this live video below.