2020 marks twenty years since Eric Earley and his band started writing alt-country tunes together as Blitzen Trapper, and to celebrate the group cobbled together their tenth studio album, released back in September. Holy Smokes Future Jokes will sound totally familiar to anyone who glommed onto the group in 2008 when their single “Furr”—and the album of the same name it was featured on—garnered audience, critical, and even commercial acclaim, or even to fans who’ve been with them since their self-titled debut back in 2004.
Two songs from this new record, “Dead Billie Jean” and “Magical Thinking,” are the tracks Earley chose to perform on his acoustic guitar from his backyard in Portland for “Neighborhoods,” launching into the former after ambiguously directing our attention to the haunted house in the background without really offering an explanation. Maybe this would have made for a good Halloween episode…
