"On Claws" by I Am Oak is a folk album that's beautifully lush in rich layers of harmony.
Instrumentally speaking, songs are formulated from of very traditional means. Heavy but sparse thump percussion can be found in most pieces, subtle acoustic and melancholy banjo picking is often present, and brief horn / string embellishments add an unexpected color to some tracks that may sound overly spacious otherwise. The real treat in this album is the vocals- more specifically the harmonies.
A few notably unique stylistic choices I Am Oak takes with their harmonies are call and response (demonstrated in "Hearth"), and using the harmonies to build songs up in urgency and grandeur, this is amply demonstrated in just about every track on the record.
My personal favorite track is "Storm", which takes a pretty common chord progression and makes it incredibly interesting through very gripping and clever lyrics, and also features the before-mentioned harmony build.
"On Claws" by I Am Oak is available via the Snowstar Records Bandcamp page.
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