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Thursday, March 8, 2012

Tonight! Tonight in Music: Priory & Campfire OK

Posted by Ned Lannamann on Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 1:31 PM

PRIORY, CAMPFIRE OK
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) How much warm, buttery folk-pop can a single audience imbibe before they collectively explode from pleasure? For the benefit of science, Priory and Campfire OK will perform this sonic experiment on a batch of unsuspecting Portlanders. On their self-titled debut, Priory fuse infectiously warm melodies with intricate layers of electronic keys and bass. The harmonies alone are worth coming back for, but the sophisticated production means that you hear something new every time. And there's no point in denying that Campfire OK have a banjo, but don't write them off as time-warping artifacts. On last year's Strange Like We Are, Campfire OK resuscitated Americana music with lush instrumentation and songwriting that's as tight as a tick. They effectively innovate an entire genre out of its box, thanks in no small part to a synthesizer and a horn. REBECCA WILSON