At one point or another, we have all felt disillusioned with, or separated from, what has become known as the “American Dream”. In recent years the term seems to have very different meanings depending on who you’re talking to. The distance from this idealism, and the search for identity that inevitably comes with it, are some of the themes explored on Butchers Blind’s new EP, entitled “A Place In America.” This latest release marks a significant step forward for the band – the songwriting, the performances, and the recordings have never sounded sharper and more in focus.
Butchers Blind formed in 2009 in Bellerose, New York. Pete Mancini, Paul Cianciaruso, Brian Reilly, and Christopher Smith came together through mutual friends and a shared love of music. In 2011, they signed with Paradiddle Records, and released two critically acclaimed LP’s – Play For The Films (2011), and Destination Blues (2013). The albums garnered the band glowing reviews and radio airplay around the world. Constant live shows and regional touring have cemented the band’s reputation as a solid live act. The songs on A Place In America expand on their established Americana roots sound and venture into new sonic territories. Whether its the layered keyboard textures on ‘Dead Horses’ or the rich, harmony driven sound of ‘Only Love’, the band is comfortably at home trying out new arrangements in the studio. ‘Black and White Dreams’, ‘Ghosts’, and ‘Twisting In The Wind’ are classic representations of the Butchers Blind sound – melodic, hard driving rhythms that stay with you long after you hear them.
The title track, however, is the centerpiece of this release; an image-heavy lyrical narrative drives the song as the band builds to a boiling point. A simple, honest refrain cuts through the tension: “I wish I had a place in America”. We are all searching for a place, a name, or something to call our own. With their new release, Butchers Blind just might find their place in the proud tradition of American music. Butchers Blind has opened for Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, Pure Prairie League, Steve Forbert, Robbie Fulks, James Maddock, Iain Matthews, Turin Brakes, and Marah. Butchers Blind’s A Place in America is out now.
submitted by City Bird Publicity
