New Blitzen Trapper MP3: "Furr"

Download the wide-eyed, alt-country sextet's werewolf ballad "Furr," the title track off the band's fourth full-length, out Sept. 23.

By Larry Fitzmaurice 08.07.08 2:04 PM

Blitzen Trapper / Photo by Jade Harris

It's easy to imagine the men of schizoid country-rock outfit Blitzen Trapper as werewolves: They possess split personalities (check) that alternate between the gentle and the manic (double check) while sprouting unseemly hair in the process (indeed, much of the band sport furry beards). It seems fitting, then, that "Furr," off of their Sub Pop debut of the same name, concerns itself with a man -- quite literally -- turning into a wolf.

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"And I lost the taste for judging right from wrong / For my flesh had turned to fur / And my thoughts / They surely were / Turned to instinct / And obedience to God," singer Eric Earley croak-sings with equal sorrow and nostalgia over a tenderly strummed guitar. Haunting night noises and harmonica enter the mix as Earley spins a yarn about living in the wolf-pack and finding new -- and, it should be noted, female -- converts. It's a slightly unsettling tale, set upon a settling backdrop -- just don't spend too much time with these guys after midnight. Furr hits stores Sept. 23 courtesy of Sub Pop.

Now Hear This: "Furr" (DOWNLOAD MP3)