In the spring of 2020, just as his latest LP was about to be set out into the world, Pokey LaFarge put all of his belongings in a storage unit preparing to be on the road for most of the year supporting the album. He headed down to Austin excited about finally trotting out these new songs in front of a live audience at SXSW. And then the world shut down.
Stuck in Austin he did what comes natural to any artist – he created art. The result is the 10-song In The Blossom Of Their Shade, a curious, but strong record rooted in old time jazz and country music that sounds like found audio from another generation. It’s admittedly a little challenging at first, but ultimately compelling enough to move away from simply being quirky for the sake of quirkiness to being an impressively unique take on the genres.
“This album is a result of my 2020 experience. Before the pandemic, I was in a dark place, but the pandemic actually created the much-needed space for me to reflect,” said LaFarge recently. “Turns out that being completely sedentary for once was a good thing. I found peace in the stillness. I was able to recalibrate what it is I do and why I’m doing it. Who I’m to do it with and most importantly, who I’m doing it for?”
Unlike what many would assume to expect from a post-pandemic record, LaFarge jettisons some of the melancholy from 2020’s Rock Bottom Rhapsody for a slightly more optimistic take, heard in songs like the exuberant opening track “Get It ‘Fore It’s Gone” or the sweet “Mi Ideal,” which has the perfect lyrics and easy going feel of a classic Hank Williams tune. The album cover, capturing LaFarge, hands on hips with his right foot forward seemingly caught in mid dance step in the foreground of a brightly colored tropical painting, comes off like a 1930s Wish You Were Here summer postcard and radiates happy vibes. Even when he’s singing a seemingly sadder song, like “Drink Of You,” thanks to the hypnotic arrangements, his pitch perfect lyrics and that irresistibly classic voice, you can’t help but smile and croon along.
Photo By Eliot Lee Hazel
