Pretty Little Goat

This ensemble from the hills of western North Carolina has a unique and exuberant groove that is, at once, musically sophisticated yet determinedly rustic. It tends to draw listeners right in.

On Pretty Little Goat’s third album you can hear this distinctive sensibility on traditional numbers like “Uncle Joe/ Leather Britches” and “Fisher’s Hornpipe,” as well as the old-timey “Home With The Cider.” They reimagine these songs with an instrumentally super-charged contemporary edge that enhances rather than diminishes their timeless appeal.

The band’s original compositions are just as impressive. The title tune is a tour de force charged with mystery and an ominous sense of impending disaster. “30 Mile Run” is a fiery hillbilly ode to a local moonshiner that features some super-hot instrumental outings. 

“Making Time,” on the other hand is a dreamy, jazzy, romantic jaunt informed by a delightfully lilting vocal from Mallory Carter and some really cool banjo licks. “Undone In Sorrow” is profoundly despairing ballad that sounds as old as the hills themselves.

This is a group that sounds firmly rooted in its own time and place as it deftly balances innovation with a deep appreciation and mastery of tradition.