I'm a big musical snob. Part of this problem is that I always wish I were around in other times, to catch other musical trends/movements/what have you, rather than our own. I mean really, would you wanna be in 1976, the birth of punk rock or the early 1990's for the birth of indie rock or now, with Fity vs. Kanye?

Its very rare I find a scene I enjoy let alone feel it's 'musicians' are talented.

Lately, I've been lucky enough to be exposed to the new folk, bluesy movement in music that's been going on. It's so nice to hear instruments like fiddles, banjos, washboards even, back being used as instruments again.

It's very rare to find a musical trend going on now where the performers are actually TALENTED.

Pat Surface fits into this up and coming genre, a sort of 'new folk' very well.

A lot of his stuff on his album seems kind of ambient, I usually need vocals to catch my attention. But it's not a background noise I have to block out. I'm listening to him as I'm doing homework right now and its still hard to focus my responsibilities.

"Cold Stormy Mountain" is one particular background piece. If you remember that little ditty about the drunken sailer ('what do you do with a drunken sailor, what can you do with a drunken sailor/ early in the morning?') you'll be surprised but not too much to see it show up here. This was a nice surprise, finding something familiar sounding.

Another piece of nostalgia, "Old Suzanna" is also done on Surface's cd however not as well as 'Cold Stormy Mountain". The percussion here somewhat reminds me of weather channel music and I feel Surface's version is slowed down, and has lost some of the fun of the original tune. Their rendition of "Old Suzanna" should take a cue from the immediate tune after, "Orange Blossom Special" which manages much better to keep the folk sound but keep it lively and fun.

"Irish Washerwoman" is another great background piece. Remember that scene in Titanic where the irish people in steerage are dancing and jumping around before they know what they're in for? Yeah, this is what they're listening to (somewhat) and you don't even have to be seen buying a cd with Celine Dion on it to get that great sound.

Most of the songs here are somewhat upbeat sounding, even if the subject matter really isn't. "Farmer isthe Man" is the only one that sounds hauntingly sad. It's a reoccuring theme in folk music to sing about farmers and other white collar people, usually they tell a story though (see anything by Woody Guthrie) although Surface's "Farmer is the Man" does not. However it still manages to convey tremedous emotion about the farmer's plight and at the same time, still manages to sound great.

Surface manages to put out a great album. I'd maybe even pay for it but more so, I'd enjoy seeing him live, especially if I could dance (which I can't) to his upbeat, folk songs. I imagine its even great to see him perform his more serious sounding pieces like 'Wanderin."Definetly check out Pat Surface as this ain't yo grandma's old hoe down.