Today’s guest post comes from Austin Smith. Here at ninebullets.net we’re looking for a regular contributor or two to help lighten the load. If that’s something you think you might wanna do send me an email and we’ll talk. Anyhow, on with the post:

The first time I pressed play on “Save My Soul, Conquistador”, I was immediately critical of the Owls’ seemed childlike melody. The ethereal female vocalist reminded me too much of the cheeseball religious music my mother used to permeate my youth with. But after listening to the whole EP several times over, I must say this: “Impressed.”

The Grizzly Owls have an insightful maturity that isn’t done justice by their first impression. Their latest EP, “I Am A Shootist”, has all the morbid humor and ominous premonitions of a Tom Waits epic, with just about the same country twang aftertaste. I particularly enjoyed “Father of the Revolver”; the steady drumroll of Joseph Andreotti made this song more of a revamped Civil War marching ballad than anything. And did hear bongo drums in the intro? I wouldn’t be surprised: The Owls use a plethora of instruments on “Shootist”, from the standard harmonica and steel pedal guitar to banjos, pots and pans, and vibraphones.

The ingredients used to create their sound are as diverse as the people who influenced it. Jenny and Joseph Andreotti cite on their blog prominent notables ranging from Nancy Sinatra and Nick Cave to filmmaker David Lynch and none other than Thoreau himself. As the story goes, the Andreottis’ grandparents traveled from Oklahoma to California during the dust bowl migration of the 1930s. Their stories, coupled with a fascination for the lone wolf mentality invoked from spaghetti westerns, cultivated he distinctly unique and somewhat addicting sound that is The Grizzly Owls. That, and a pinch of creepiness from “Twin Peaks” creator and mastermind composer David Lynch.

The Grizzly Owls play like Muse taking a plodding journey through the 1800s with an oriental tour guide and a female vocalist. Thankfully “Shootist” moves away from the burlesque line, saloon-y cartoon-y piano player feel of their early ’09 song “The Legend of Ghost Man”. If this latest EP is any indication of their artistic progression, The Owls are most definitely on to something worth listening to.

The Grizzly Owls – Father of the Revolver

You can download the entire EP here.