The Wool Pullers’ unique spin on the songwriters’ genre is a far cry from the tourist-pandering folk music that sells a brand of Alaska to its listeners. The acoustic duo, which formed in 2012, comprises Liz Snyder from Juneau, Alaska and Alex Kotlarsz from Seattle, Washington. The two met at a party around 2011. They were both performing in separate bands, Baked and The Bastards, respectively. They showed a strong appreciation for each other’s music right away. A few months later, Snyder invited Kotlarsz to jam with her and the rest is history. Since then, they’ve been playing their songs at local venues around town and their songs have been making the rounds in local radio station. In September, the band released their highly anticipated self-titled debut album, which was made possible thanks to the crowdfunding website Indiegogo, which (disclosure) I donated to in exchange for the CD. They both play acoustic guitar and sing, with bass guitar, fiddle, and percussion making occasional appearances on the album as well. The real heart of their music is found in their complementary singing styles.
Snyder’s vocals have a breathy tone that carries real emotive and melodic power. In contrast, Kotlarsz’ vocal style is more of a rock-and-roll wailer; he can switch modes into a sensitive crooner or vocally percussionist beat poet at will.
The album opens with a gentle guitar instrumental, then immediately enters into a song with the tempo of a freight car, the kind the song’s protagonist might hitch a ride on. “Big Bad Blind,” about a poker player going up against a ruthless rival, or perhaps his own streak of bad luck, showcases the band’s storytelling acumen. As the album progresses, the tracks break down into either Snyder-led songs with Kotlarsz on backup, or the reverse, with proper duets peppered in-between.
The upbeat “Inside Passage,” a duet, paints a picture of Southeast Alaska as a place of mystery, with the misty mountains whispering “songs of survivors,” and home to many a weary traveller. The song’s beat is as steady and relaxing as a ferry ride.
The group hits their stride musically on “The Theatre is Now Closed,” alternating between a rhythmic, strumming chorus and quick, slyly executed arpeggios that crest and flow together. It is a Snyder-led song that takes listeners on a kind of self-reflective journey, like a personal diary of poems. Snyder sings to a ubiquitous “you,” which could be anyone from a lost love to a friend who has drifted onto a different path. At one point in the song, she suggests emotions triggered from reminders of a lost love are like a psychedelic flashback, “the LSD of life.” It’s a poetic turn as subtly subversive and emotionally resonant as early Modest Mouse songs.
In “Riverbound,” Kotlarsz also sings about a loss, but of a different kind. The song is an elegy about someone who throws himself into a river after becoming overburdened by some unnamed grief. Here too the lyric writing is equally matched with the emotional palpability of the singing. Kotlarsz conjures the image of the snake and fruit of knowledge from the book of Genesis, alluding to the idea that our knowledge of the world is the true instigator of despair. The song is a meditation on the nature of grief itself and occasions repeated listens to appreciate the subtlety and depth of the songwriting. The rhythm and music of the words act as almost percussive instruments at times, complementing nicely the uptempo guitar playing.
In “Silver Salmon,” the duo makes a statement against the controversial mineral exploration project known as Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, arguing instead to protect the salmon population prolific to the area. “‘Cause this mine is not a pebble, it’s a giant rolling stone / One that’s going to crush us / Unless we leave it all alone.” they sing. The Wool Pullers here show that they are loosely bounded to the folk genre overall, yet exploit its best qualities, in this case to follow in the tradition of the protest song.
The final track is a polka-like party song called “Mars” that smacks more of Gogol Bordello than Simon and Garfunkel. Kotlarsz leads the vocal energy of the track, which is matched by Snyder. The singers invite the listener to “get a little drunk” and “get a get little high” and reminds me of the unabashed hedonistic reverie of the tavern scene from “Fiddler on the Roof.” The song displays the band’s stylistic range while simultaneously ending the album on a positive note.
This album satisfies like a well-rounded meal, running the gamut of emotions, tempos, and genres. Like much of the best modern music out there, The Wool Pullers can’t be easily compartmentalized into one musical style or another. It’s simply the sound of The Wool Pullers.
The Wool Pullers’ debut album is available at https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thewoolpullers
• Danny Peterson is a Juneau-born writer and multimedia artist who has produced work for KTOO public radio, F-Magazine, and Tidal Echoes. He dabbles in comedy and filmmaking.
The Wool Pullers, Liz Snyder and Alex Kolarsz, practice their acoustic music at a downtown studio in October 2013.
