Augustus
The Common Collapse EP
Independent
4 out of 5 stars
Boulder acoustic trio Augustus has only been together one year, but their debut EP The Common Collapse sounds as if they’re pulling decades of history around with them — and in many regards they are. The five-song EP seems to build on a patch-work quilt of styles and influences from the great songbook of Americana. Bluegrass, folk, jazz and blues are all tightly stitched together side-by-side with incredible synergy. The group is made up of Collin Kelly, who handles primarily vocals and guitar, Jim Herlihy who plays mostly guitar and banjo, although he ads organ and stripped down drum kit on certain tracks, and Jesse Wright on cello.
From the opening blues-based track “North” the band launches a history lesson of sorts, blending southern slide blues, with subtle bluegrass notes, Wright’s soaring cello, and some driving front porch stomps.
Other songs, like “Spoke of This Before” and “Shadows and Tails” put singer/songwriter folk alongside bluegrass. The beauty is that it never sounds like just one of the genres, but instead truly melds the styles.
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Augustus - 'The Common Collapse EP'
From the opening blues-based track “North” the band launches a history lesson of sorts, blending southern slide blues, with subtle bluegrass notes, Wright’s soaring cello, and some driving front porch stomps.