Penny & Sparrow - Wendigo (2017)

Austin’s Andy Baxter and Kyle Jahnke have remained mostly underground for about half a decade, releasing three projects independently with producer Chris Jacobie. But catching the attention of the Civil Wars’ John Paul White and Alabama Shakes’ Ben Tanner led to a successful 2016 marked by the release of breakthrough Let a Lover Drown You (produced with White and Tanner) and tour spots with the likes of Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors.

Their raw and honest, yet paradoxically full-sounding production has created open breathing space for their intimate lyricism and gorgeous Vernon & Garfunkel harmonies. Though some have found Penny & Sparrow’s aesthetic to be a bit on the serious side, melancholy even, their grasp of elegantly simple melody and harmony is hard to deny.

Their newest effort, Wendigo, picks up where their previous release left off. Reuniting with their producer Jacobie, Penny & Sparrow’s somber mood is still the same, but their lyrical and musical exploration bring them to their most ambitious state thus far.

Writing first-person narratives from other people’s point of view is something Baxter (the main lyricist) has practiced in the past, especially on their Les Misérables homages “Valjean”, “Fantine”, “Eponine”, and on this release, “Javert”. But never has it been as much of a focus as on Wendigo.