One Foot in the Ether (BOH, 2009)

The second release for The Band of Heathens continues their strong emergence onto the music scene by displaying a variety of mesmerizing attributes. This follows up the success of their debut, and proves they were not ready to rest on their accolades. This displays much more depth, digging into a soulful funk that grabs you from the start.

Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist and Colin Brooks continue to provide strong vocals and harmonies, along with their timeless writing talents. Supported by Seth Whitney on bass, John Chipman on drums and Trevor Nealon on piano, this cohesive Austin group forms a potent mix.

With the mixture of gospel, soul, funk, country, rockabilly and even throw in a little New Orleans influence, the raw talent shines brightly. Prior comparisons to either The Eagles or Little Feat have been surpassed by the soulful array here. Now, you need to throw in a little Stevie Wonder to complete the picture.

This exceptional record provides further evidence that one does not need to pick a single genre to be successful. The Band of Heathens variety is what makes them unique.