The cover of Indian Wars‘ second album Songs from the North features a wooden duck on a bed of wilting parsley set amid some fine silverware. On the back cover there is a photo of a garage with a photo of Dylan on the door and a torch stake with a doll’s dismembered head and foot attached to it. I know why Dylan is on the door, but what does the wooden duck mean and why is there a dismembered baby doll on a torch? Either it is some great symbolism or an inside joke. There isn’t a lame duck among the 10 songs on the record. They are rollicking, familiar, and engaging “songs from the south sung from a Northerner’s point of view.”
The second album from this Vancouver, British Columbia band sees them pining for the land south of the border. It drips with American place names and sounds. It wants to sail the muddy waters of the Mississippi and wander the deserts high on Mescaline, and walk through swinging doors knock some back and get into brawls. And it does all of that! Songs from the North improves on Indian Wars debut with better songs, better fidelity and more even pacing. Indian Wars walk the walk and talk the talk, even if the walk and talk are ones you may have heard before. It’s a worthwhile record whether you are floating down the Mississippi, lost in the desert or just in your local bar.
Songs from the North is available on vinyl from Bachelor Records.
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