Frequent Columbus gigger and Black Swans buddy Tim Showalter aka Strand of Oaks released intimate sophomore album Pope Killdragon on emusic recently, and the more spins I give it the more it’s transfixing me. Fans of Bon Iver, Will Oldham and maybe early Neil Young should find some common ground here. Showalter is the rare singer/songwriter who can be emotive without overly emoting.
If you’re not ready to pull the trigger on Killdragon, you can download Strand of Oaks’ Live in Chicago 2008 EP for free here. It features early versions of songs that eventually landed on the new album.