For the most part, Old Friends is a dark, dank, and brooding monster that seems to exist somewhere between the lines of folk and post rock. Think At Dawn era My Morning Jacket only with a more obtuse twist that stretches the bleak side of your imagination further than you thought humanly possible.
Around the ¾ mark of the lp, a boost of vitality is given in form of the tracks A Weird Glow and Admit. Despite being short & sweet, they manage to awake the lp from its atmospheric nature and add a welcome dash of pace into the mix, evoking the sounds of artists such as Ghosts of the Great Highway era Sun Kil Moon and early Band of Horses.
Having taken a moment to listen to their back catalogue, it’s pretty safe to say that Old Friends is where Pygmy Lush have truly nailed their own sound and made it their own. The album was tracked live with Kurt Ballou (Converge) at his own GodCity Studio, a decision that greatly benefits the lp as it captures the band’s intense live sound (video embedded below) breathing life into the soulful sorrow it so painfully delivers.
Pygmy Lush - Full Set - Tulsa, Ok. 03/23/11 from James P on Vimeo.