PS Audio’s Octave Records label has released its latest album, The Nature of Things by the band Foxfeather. It’s a compelling blend of rock, pop, acoustic-electric roots music, blues and more, led by singer Carly Ricks Smith and acoustic guitarist/keyboardist and backing vocalist Laura Stratton.
The Nature of Things was recorded in pure Direct Stream Digital (DSD) using the Sonoma system in PS Audio’s Boulder, Colorado studio, Animal Lane in Lyons, CO, and Vernon Barn in Longmont, CO.
Like other Octave Records releases, it was recorded and mastered using Octave Records’ exclusive DSDDirect Mastered recording system, where the mastering occurs at the same time as the mixing, thereby eliminating a generation of audio processing to maintain maximum sonic purity.
The musicians in Foxfeather are: Carly Ricks Smith (lead and background vocals), Laura Stratton (acoustic guitar, piano/keyboards, backing vocals), Kate Farmer (backing vocals), Jay Elliott (drums, percussion), Blake Smith (electric guitar), Mark Dabrowski (bass), Oliver Jacobson (fiddle), Eben Grace (pedal steel, electric guitar, acoustic guitar) and Eric Moon (organ, synthesizer).
The Nature of Things was produced by Eben Grace, with the help of Octave Records’ recording engineer Gus Skinas, Jay Elliott (recording and mixing engineer), Giselle Collazo (mixing engineer and Sonoma DSD operator) and Jessica Carson (executive producer).
The music ranges from the syncopated, funk-tinged groove of “Lunatic” and the rocker “Fillin’ Me Up” to the plaintive “Lonely Feeling” and “24 Years,” a song about growing past difficult relationships.
With three female singers, the vocals and harmonies are sweet and layered, powerful and intimate, and the band complements Carly, Laura and Kate with richly-textured accompaniment. Much of the album was recorded “live” in the studio, capturing the interplay between the musicians and a natural room sound with presence and spaciousness.
Foxfeather’s Carly Ricks Smith noted, “The thing we like about lyric writing is that it can go anywhere you want.” Laura Stratton added, “The album is a time capsule of what we went through during the lockdown. Everything and anything can be an inspiration. Even one chord can evoke a feeling.”
Price & Availability
The Nature of Things is available as a limited-edition release of 1,000 hybrid SACD discs with the master DSD layer and a CD layer. In addition, the album is available as a download bundle including DSD64, DSDDirect Mastered 192kHz/24-bit, 96kHz/24-bit and 44.1kHz/16-bit PCM.
Order now for $29 at psaudio.com.
