A friend at Team Clermont turned me on to the Athens, GA gothic Americana band Efren. Their latest EP, Always Been a Bleeder, has lo-fi brooding undertones and seamlessly mixes psychedelia, experimental folk, country and roots rock. The first four tracks alternate between lively folk rock songs like “Potholes” and contemplative songs like “Next Tuesday”. “Rapids,” the nine-minute closing track, is a more representative track of Efren’s experimental side, starting off with a chaotic mix of guitar, bells and sporadic cymbals which build for two minutes when Scott Leon O’Day joins in with his gently understated vocals, bringing the song fully to life. While Always Been a Bleeder clearly bears the influence of the folk, rock and country that came before them, Efren’s music is also distinctly contemporary, and the range displayed on the EP hopefully foreshadows great things to come for the band. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Bon Iver, Dead Confederate, Drive-By Truckers, Iron & Wine, Neutral Milk Hotel, Wilco