The Doc Marshalls’ front man, Nick Beaudoing, has arrived in Nashville armed with an album that still reeks of Brooklyn, his former home. Whereas previous releases evoked a humid musical landscape along the Texas-Louisiana border, the Doc Marshalls’ new album, Look Out, Compadre, sheds the honky-tonk and Cajun two-steps in favor of crooked, shimmering folk reminiscent of Bonnie Prince Billy and A.A. Bondy.
This hard left turn comes on the heels of years of preaching roots music in indie rock venues, where country flavors are seldom heard. Look Out, Compadre is a surprising and welcome departure, demonstrating that even hardcore country boys are unable to keep the city at bay forever.
Eager to capture the moment of a signature sound in flux, the band enlisted engineer Alex Lipsen at Headgear Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (Phosphorescent, Nada Surf) with the goal of recording in an atmosphere where instruments like the fiddle and pedal steel would be treated as outsiders. Session musicians such as guitarist Josh Kaufman (Dawn Landes, Rocketship Park) further sharpen the edges of songs whose lyrics spin tales of last stands, exploding houses, and the calm that forgiveness brings.
A versatile repertoire has taken the Doc Marshalls from indie rock clubs in NYC, to rural Texas dancehalls, Europe, and countless festival stages in between. Their busy touring schedule has afforded them the opportunity to open for the likes of Bobby Bare Jr., Carrie Rodriguez, the Bottle Rockets, and even reggae legend Burning Spear.
Their debut album, "No Kind of Life" (2005), was warmly received by roots radio, spending over a month in the Top 40 of the Americana Music Association Radio Chart. Their 2008 CD, "Honest for Once," surpassed this feat, making a rapid ascent to #19 and earning spots on “Best of” lists for the year, including the Americana Music Association and Pop Matters.com, among others.
The Doc Marshalls:
Nick Beaudoing: vocals, guitars
Jonathan Gregg: pedal steel, dobro
Doug Clark: drums
Terence Murren: bass
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