This four-song EP confirms the impression left by Easton’s full-length debut, Special 20 — that he’s one of the best young singer-songwriters working today.
If Special 20 was a well-crafted slice of country/folk/rock, They Will Bury You is charmingly casual but no less brilliant. Its four terrific songs, all originals, were recorded in 1999 at various locations. The acoustic blues “Goin’ On A Drunk”, recorded on a boombox on Easton’s porch, sounds like an outtake from Harry Smith’s Anthology Of American Folk Music, as Easton, working alone, slashes away on slide guitar and blows harmonica. “Lexington Jail”, which comes from a live radio broadcast, lopes along like a vintage Dylan tale.
Easton goes electric on the other two songs: “Kettle” is a satisfyingly ragged rocker, while the title track rips even more fiercely. In the space of just four songs Easton covers plenty of stylistic ground and make it all his own. Cool packaging, too: They Will Bury You comes as both a vinyl 7-inch and a CD.
