"Old Magnolia" and its eye-catching video, take the idea of Dusk's transportive powers and runs with it, bringing you as deep into the country mindset as possible. Traveling from red barns to monster trucks, bolo ties to bald eagles, this one plays up their surroundings with gorgeous images and the band's slow-dripped twang.
This young group has an eye for interesting tempos and a handle on time signatures that fill this shorter release with a depth of capable songs. As if the release was made of shredded textiles, patch-worked into a comfortable blanket - clean in some parts, and stained in others, but nonetheless, a whole.
Ferrell speaks much as he sings -- at a considered but somewhat irregular rapid morse code-like pace. When accompanied by music, his voice is infused with a palpable sneer, somewhere between Kathleen Hanna and James Hetfield when he gets really sassy. In conversation though, he is earnest and focused.
ONLY LOVE is aggressive and violent, but it is also atmospheric, authentic, and tender. Recorded and produced by Converge's Kurt Ballou and with drum performances by Ben Koller, the collective of musicians, performers, and visual artists that make up The Armed have managed to make a dense album drawing from influences across the punk-rock spectrum.
