MEGAFAUN – MEGAFAUN

Once upon a time there was a North Carolina group called DeYarmond Edison. When their lead singer Justin Vernon left the band he went onto considerable acclaim and success with his new outfit, Bon Iver. But the three remaining members, brothers Phil and Brad Cook and Joe Westerlund carried on unperturbed (and pretty much unshaven) under a new name, Megafaun. Now into album number three, the Megafaun boys have produced a sprawling, rambling folk-rock Americana epic release that carries touches of everyone from Neil Young to Fleet Foxes,from  The Byrds to their former band mate. Capable of pop whimsy – Second Friend – fear and loathing in the barn – Scorned – and beautiful harmonies of longing – Hope You Know, this eponymous album doesn’t shy away from covering great expanses of musical territory. That they pull together exercises in ambient noise and folk-pop along with ballads and the occasional rock moment is their achievement.  That State/Meant is a close half-brother to Young’s Cortez the Killer (albeit an acoustic one) can only be intentional (meant?). This is true beard music of the highest order.

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