Actual Wolf - Faded Days

Vinyl LP pressing. Based in Oakland, CA, but born and raised in Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range - the same fertile region as Bob Dylan - indie folk-rocker Actual Wolf (Eric Pollard) shines brightly on his national debut Faded Days. Lush and expansive, it conjures the classic cosmic country albums of the past with it's layered vocals and sweeping choruses. The album plays out like a vintage record store find, with a care to storytelling and payoff choruses that are in scarce supply these days. Album highlights include the Springsteen-esque "Be My Love," which segues into the hazy vintage Neil Young & Crazy Horse vibe of the first single, "Baby Please." "Little Runaway" is a classic rock radio cut (if you grew up in the '70s, that is) and the wistful title track speaks of lost opportunities and old relationships, with the chorus asking "Can you still get high?" Dividing his days between music and being one of the leading extract/hash makers in the Northern California Bay Area (working