Howlin Rain – “Fall Away”

A hell of a year already for Ethan Miller, who’s got a year-ender on his hands with the third album from The Odyssey Cult, and now opens up the second killer single from an upcoming Howlin’ Rain album. The band tackles a curio of covers for the new record, digging deep into the wells of Americana, classic rock, and folk. For the latest, Miller takes a cut that’s off the beaten path, picking out a new version of Inuit rock band Sugluk’s “Fall Away.” The song was tucked among the essential fodder on the seminal Light in the Attic compilation, Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985, and Miller and his assembled wrecking crew give it a nice gloss here. With a slightly acidic burn and a Western romp, the band turn the song into a stageside burner that’s opens up the cut’s Cosmic American romp.

“Sugluk’s recording is such a pure expression of youth and raw musicality. It’s an incredibly striking song to me. What Blue Cheer is to Cream, Sugluk is to the Troggs or The Seeds; the edgy garage pop form is there, but it’s exploding at every turn. All artifice is burned off and what’s left is a perfectly captured emotional expression; a youthful first-heartbreak, barely-hanging-on musical rollercoaster,” says Miller. “We thought it would be fun to dial up the volume on the amps and deliver it with a heavy nod to Neil Young and Crazy Horse fuzz-and-stomp.” Watermelon is out November 13th from Silver Current.

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