American folk music has long been about a splattering of influences re-arranged. The best of the current crop of songwriters is that they smartly merge the ongoing progression of rock and popular music with rootsy inflections, while claiming no title other than their own. Gabriel Birnbaum’s brainchild Boy Without God is a strong example of this process. The formerly lo-fi centric songwriter proves that he doesn’t need grit to add novelty or cover deficiencies in his recently released album “God Bless The Hunger.” While his adept guitar work draws heavily from the bass-melody sounds present since Maybelle Carter, Birnbaum’s keen sense of layering shifts quickly from strings to horns, from sweet harmonies to avant-garde dissonance. Check out “Boy Without God” on July 31st at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn. – Jason Bertone
