Every once in awhile I come across an artist pulling from so many disparate corners of the map that the influences converge into something entirely new. For Freak Owls, there’s a deep commitment here to channel personal stories amidst a wide backdrop full of earthy textures. In the spirit of The Shins or Gnarls Barkley, singer-songwriter Josh Ricchio has found a home for his acoustic guitar to dance on top of deep grooves and patterned sequencers. For an artist with a lot on his mind, it’s the way he pulls his frustrated visions over a serviceable beat that won me over. Check out debut record ‘Taxidermy’ on his BandPage. –Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)
