Sweet Spirit Credit: photo by John Anderson

Sweet Spirit, Harvest Thieves, A. Sinclair, Borrisokane

Holy Mountain, Jan. 2

A cold, hard rain didn’t keep crowds away from the kickoff to the first weekend of Free Week at Holy Mountain. That each act plied a distinctive sound kept things lively, while sleek 40-minute sets proved the ideal format. Play the best of whatever it is you do and make way for the next locals. The five who make up Borrisokane broke out an art-rock style that belied their collective youth. The songs veered from quirky to diffuse with noteworthy ease. Harvest Thieves, fronted by Cory Reinisch (ex-Guns of Navarone) and anchored by Holy Mountain owner James Taylor on drums, comes from the Jackson Browne school of alt.country, where durable melodies and chunky guitars abound. Covering Doug Sahm’s “Give Back the Key to My Heart” demonstrated roots and smarts. A. Sinclair successfully moved away from any semblance of its former identity, rockers Frank Smith. They’ve jelled into a full-throttle post-punk ensemble unafraid to use feedback and harmonies for color. Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog, Bobby Jealousy) led headliner Sweet Spirit all over the musical map, balancing punky dance moves with big theatrics.

This article appears in January 9 • 2015.

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