Actual Wolf - Faded Days (2017)

Based in Oakland, CA, but born and raised in Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range - the same fertile region as Bob Dylan - indie folk-rocker Actual Wolf (Eric Pollard) shines brightly on his national debut Faded Days. Lush and expansive, it conjures the classic cosmic country albums of the past with it's layered vocals and sweeping choruses. The album plays out like a vintage record store find, with a care to storytelling and payoff choruses that are in scarce supply these days. Album highlights include the Springsteen-esque "Be My Love," which segues into the hazy vintage Neil Young & Crazy Horse vibe of the first single, "Baby Please." "Little Runaway" is a classic rock radio cut (if you grew up in the '70s, that is) and the wistful title track speaks of lost opportunities and old relationships, with the chorus asking "Can you still get high?" Dividing his days between music and being one of the leading extract/hash makers in the Northern California Bay Area (working for a boutique provider growing rare/hard-to-cultivate cannabis strains), Actual Wolf is the latest addition to the Red House Records' artist roster. Actual Wolf has cultivated, cut and cured these songs with the same patience as that of a grower. The album is subtly informed by that breadth of different atmospheres as much as it is richly colored by the array of collaborators: Jeremy Hanson (Tapes 'n Tapes, Tungsten), Jake Hanson (Gramma's Boyfriend; 12 Rods; Alaska), Steve Garrington (Low, the Erik Berry Duo), Ditch Kurtz (a pedal steel guitarist from Nashville), with additional vocals by Al Church. A download card is included with an access code to the digital version of the album.