Builders & The Butchers
The Spark
Portland-based roots-rock band, The Builders and the Butchers, seem to understand that good things come to those who wait. After a lengthy stint of tours and festivals, the performers took a step back and channeled their energy into eleven tracks of foot-stomping folk, written over the course of five years and several cities - the band members are strewn across the country and were forced to collaborate on a virtual plane. While distance could be seen as a hindrance, its no coincidence that the resulting sound feels deliberate and unhurried. Their fifth and latest album, The Spark, is stripped down in comparison to its predecessors, relying mostly on acoustics and urgent, rough-hewn vocals.