Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz - Contrapasso (Self-Released)

The prolific musical partnership of Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz have returned with one of their most electric releases yet, Contrapasso. The duo has experimented with a number of styles together, but their core sound will always be Americana. On their newest EP they fully embrace this genre more than ever before, and they’re augmented by a group of session musicians that add an authentic bluegrass feel to the proceedings. Influenced by the likes of Tom Waits and Neil Young, there is an intellectual, referential quality to the songs as they explore the contemporary climate in four new songs.

The EP opener, “High on Cult Life,” is perhaps the most explicitly political here, with lyrics that allude to the cult-like worship for Trump among his base. Elsewhere, they dig into the psychology and history of a country that has ended up where it is today, especially with “Bells Toll” which makes reference to Frederick Douglass. Contrapasso ends with a truly melancholy moment on “Sold Down the River,” suggesting an outlook that isn’t necessarily all that positive for the future of the country. Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz have crafted a collection of songs that manages to cover a ton of territory, both thematically and emotionally, in under twenty minutes, and it undoubtedly contains some of their strongest songwriting.