EP REVIEW: Appalachia – Osi And The Jupiter

OSI AND THE JUPITER are an ambient folk duo comprising vocalist, guitarist and synth-player Sean Kratz, and cellist Chris Brown. While both members are fixtures of Ohio’s extreme metal scene, this side-project eschews intensity in favour of a more subdued approach. They have impressed with a series of albums released on Eisenwald, which explore droning soundscapes and organic textures. In sound and in image, OSI AND THE JUPITER have owed more to the fjords and forests of Scandinavia than to their native Ohio, sitting comfortably alongside the likes of WARDRUNA and HEILUNG on record shelves, but that looks set to change on the Appalachia EP. Written and recorded in tribute to their “homeland and spiritual connection to the dense forested mountains,” OSI AND THE JUPITER skew towards conventional folk influences for their fourth release.

Opening track They Ride Through The Skies On Horse Drawn Chariots is an instrumental lament; a sparse piece, which fore-fronts the lilting quality of the cello. Originally penned for a short film, this companion piece lays the ground for the folk-balladry of the title track. Appalachia is something a novelty for the duo insofar as it features singing and an acoustic guitar, but is otherwise a fairly straightforward folk song which has been lent some atmospheric cadence. It’s pleasant enough, and affords fans an insight into the duo’s potential, but it’s not the main event that one would expect it to be.

Closing track The Binding Will Of Mountains, by contrast, is a twelve-minute epic. Blending OSI AND THE JUPITER’s established sound with their newfound folk influence, Appalachia‘s highlight is its swansong. If the previous pieces are a statement of where they have come from, and where they are currently at, then this piece suggests where the duo is going.

Barely over before it has begun, this twenty-minute EP is brief but balanced; serving as a succinct primer for newcomers, and a novelty for longstanding fans of the project. Odd as it is to describe a piece of music as picturesque, Appalachia succeeds as a poignant evocation of its namesake. More of a saunter through the landscape than a trek, OSI AND THE JUPITER exude homespun charm on this EP as they bring North American folk influences to bear on their established sound. A healthy turn towards authenticity rather than Nordic fetishism, it will be interesting to see whether the duo continues to walk along this path.

Rating: 7/10

Appalachia is set for release on July 31st via Eisenwald. 

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