Dubbed "backwood savants" by Performer Magazine, San Francisco`s El Capitan embrace a downtrodden folk-rock feel that`s equal parts Appalachian and rock. "The Woodcutter Hymnal" is an ominously dark, prosaic waltz that opens this 7 track mini-LP. And while Atwater KNEC clocks in at under a half hour, the journey feels both brief and eternal all at once. A rift of timelessness opens amidst the relaxed performances and the electric rural vibe. Shifting between, and intermeshing, the traditional instrumentation of fiddle, acoustic guitar and banjo with the tools of lo-fi indie rock, El Capitan forge a sound that might be described at times as Slow Depression. One tune though, "Blue Tick", almost has a perky pop-ala-Cure feel to it. But then it`s hard to imagine in coarse voiced singer Ryan Henry a little Robert Smith that might have survived the Black Mtn. Hills. -- Robinson, Miles Of Music (Brick And Mortar)
