“Please Punch Richard for Me,” the 2011 release of acoustic Americana and alternative folk from “Chicago's forward-looking musical reactionaries” is similar to their previous releases, but it does show  added growth and maturity in their music’s development over the past seven years. Tangleweed proudly and enthusiastically embrace their role as purveyors of folk music, and we hear influences of old-time, bluegrass, jug band, Irish and swing music in their rustic repertoire. Liner notes written by Dr. Alexander Gelfand ask (and answer) the question of “who are these mysterious ‘folk’”? He concludes that “the ‘folk’ in question are us. We are them … and their music – or rather our music, the music that belongs to both of us and them, we and they – lives on.”    

When Tangleweed released “Just A Spoonful” and "Where You Been Gone So Long?" back in 2005 and 2006 we heard a stronger bluegrass influence in their music with the addition of a banjo- player in the band. Ryan Fisher has moved on to other endeavors, but Paul Wargaski (upright bass, vocals), Billy Oh (fiddle, vocals), and Kenneth Rainey (mandolin, vocals), and Scott Judd (guitar, vocals) are still in band and sharing a chemistry that results in good-time music with plenty of energy and exuberance. Perhaps a little guest banjo on a few tracks the new album would’ve been a wise move. Special guests do include Joe Nelson (drums) and Jerald Shelato (jug) so we’ve heard the band’s spunk evolve in a slightly different direction that still gets people tapping their toes, dancing their rears off, and having fun in the watering holes and shows they regularly appear in. Tangleweed closes this project with a cover of John Neil’s “Teenage Kicks” in which they recognize “teenage dreams are so hard to beat” and “teenage kicks, right through the night.” Well, it’s also this band’s own dreams and kicks that keep them enthusiastically playing to their growing fan base. I like their music because it reminds me of my own dreams and kicks when I was playing music back in my 20s and 30s.      

Tangleweed’s sturdy and confident music is showing that they’ve been working on arrangements, as well as vocals, and the string band's eclectic repertoire is still breezy and refreshing like the winds that blow through their city’s urban environment.  Playful, lively, spirited and full of fun pretty much sums it up.  (Joe Ross, Roots Music Review)
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