Kimball, Harry
Driftless
A deeply fruitful experiment in place-based songwriting, Driftless is the result of New York City polymath Harry Kimball's citizen-artist residency in the evocatively named Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota. While visiting this metaphorically rich portion of the Midwest--it was passed over by glaciers during the last ice age--Kimball roamed rain-soaked highways and collaborated with longtime residents, then crafted a collection of coy rockers, barnyard singalongs and tender ballads that draw on the region's dramatic landscape and stark emotional parallels. Full of idiosyncratic details and wit, reminiscent of masters such as John Prine, Neil Young and Howe Gelb, Driftless is a regional concept album of the first order. Mastered by Amy Dragon, and featuring original artwork by Mike King.