The Austria-born and now Joshua Tree-based musician duo Son Of The Velvet Rat, comprised of songwriter Georg Altziebler and his wife Heike Binder, released their new album "Ghost Ranch" last Friday, March 22, through Fluff & Gravy and Missing Piece Records.
The record is a soundscape amalgamation of Americana mainstay and sonic innovations like drum loops and saloon piano; violin and cicada drones; and hanging chimes and pounded metal, all mixed into an anxious-presenting collection of tracks revolving around narrative dichotomies.
Such themes are delivered in what fan and collaborator Lucinda Williams describes as Georg's "great sexy-gravelly voice," which is accentuated by Heike's ethereal harmonies akin to that of blooming "Everlastings" on a prickly and stalwart cactus.
About Son Of The Velvet Rat's 'Ghost Ranch'
Leading up to the release of the duo's foremost album, Son Of The Velvet Rat released a host of lead singles, all three of which feature American folk singer Jolie Holland, garnering critical acclaim across various publications.
For one, Glide Magazine called their lead single "Beautiful Day," "a dreamy work of Americana-laced folk-rock that finds them leaning into a sound that is quietly rocking."
Their "Rosary" track, on the other hand, was praised by Americana Highways for the way its suspense and darkness begin its haunting from the opening note."
Finally, the duo's latest release of the three, "Deeper Shade Of Blue," received props from American Blues Scene, saying, "Punctuated by archetypal Jolie Holland moments, her stirring vocals and birdlike whistling melt the soul and enkindle the divine fire of letting go."
That said, ahead of their recent lead single releases, both Georg and Heike debuted an initial version of songs that would, later on, be turned into the collection of tracks known as "Ghost Ranch in September 2022 at the Harrison House in Joshua Tree, California.
The space itself was the perfect "vessel" to perform the duo's new songs in, especially "bare" versions sonically consisting only of a gruff and anchoring baritone alongside wizened harmonies of hope, both of which are underscored by the haunted strings of Georg's guitar.
That night would have faded into the oceanic breeze of California were it not for Georg and Heike deciding to immortalize the songs in an album, which they recorded at Gar Robertson's Red Barn Studio in Morongo Valley the following spring. The two eventually finished the record in Austria.
You can now stream "Ghost Ranch" by clicking here or by previewing the album's tracks below.
