Portland, OR-based Balto is back with more fresh material - the gospel-tinged "Born Astray" is now streaming exclusively via Consequence of Sound. Following the bouncier previous single "CA LUV", "Born Astray" sees the band featuring a new vocalist, and incorporating rootsy-Americana sounds and immersive-style storytelling. Balto continues raising the stakes and increasing expectations for what's to come. Stream + Share "Born Astray"
The gritty vocals perfectly complement the nostalgic, repentant tone of the lyrics - "I was born a gambler, I was born astray, and I been playing hands Lord, that I can't sustain." A female gospel choir adds an exciting and expansive flourish to an already strong track, shattering expectations one may have of a typical "folk-Americana" band. This is indeed a project that refuses to be pigeonholed. Balto plays unbridled American rock'n'roll - steeped in the mythology of the legendary songwriters and Motown's almighty groove. Biting cynicism, instant classics, rip-your-heart-out live energy, and a willingness to swagger rip hard and live behind the beat. This is a band formed the old fashioned way - chance meetings through friends of friends - four life-long musicians from around the country, playing at the intersection of so many strands of indigenous American music - that tradition that runs from Son House to Sun Ra, from Mississippi John Hurt to the Alabama Shakes.
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