Tune In Saturdays: Norfolk & Western

This week, Portland's own, star-studded Norfolk & Western caught my ear with a beautifully lush record from 2006 called The Unsung Colony. Featuring members from M. Ward and the Decemberists, N&W again and again manage to be both big and understated, both strange and simple, effortlessly. It may be a little hard to classify, but it's full of a folksy, country-ish backbone. Great stuff.

From PopMatters:

The Unsung Colony is damn fine, near perfect, each elegant orchestrated folk-pop song given greater resonance by its placement in the album’s waxing and waning—even the not-as-good ones, and they’re all at least pretty good.  Some, like the epic “Arrangements Made” are exceptional, an inspired blend of the Flaming Lips, Harry Nilsson, and the White Album.  Featuring such accomplished scenesters as Rachel Blumberg (the Decemberists) and Peter Broderick (Horse Feathers) playing all manner of string, key, and horn, The Unsung Colony should establish mastermind Adam Selzer as a pretty major player on the autumnal/prog-quaint circuit, or whatever the kids call it these days.

Norfolk & Western - The Longest Stare (mp3)
Norfolk & Western - The Gilded Age (video)