Grouper
The Man Who Died in His Boat (Kranky)
Reviewed by Luke Winkie, Fri., May 31, 2013
Grouper
The Man Who Died in His Boat (Kranky)Grouper, the project of Portlander Liz Harris, has ruptured decrepit, blind ambience for almost a decade, but 2008's Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill arrived slightly askew. Deciduous, misty, and undeniably folky, it brooded like the rest, but strummed instead of bleated, like a country ghost story. The Man Who Died in His Boat summons that same murk. Spanning glacial, lonely instrumentals ("Being Her Shadow") and muffled Americana ("Vital,"), this abyss proves worthwhile. (Fri., 10pm, Central Presbyterian Church)
