Tired Pony - The Place We Ran From

Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody trades anthemic arena rock for what he terms a "kind of country thing-ish" project with the launch of the intriguing off shoot Tired Pony and "debut" album The Place We Ran From (September 28). Featuring R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, R.E.M. auxiliary member Scott McCaughey, Garret 'Jacknife' Lee (who also produced), Belle and Sebastian drummer Richard Coburn, Snow Patrol collaborator Iain Archer and fellow Patrol-man Troy Stewart, the band retreated to a Portland, OR studio in January to flesh out Lightbody's demos. Holed up in various hotel rooms along the 2009 Snow Patrol world tour, Lightbody began writing songs for an "imaginary" country band. "I can't get away with writing pure country music because I haven't lived that life, says Lightbody, "but I love it so much that I always wanted to try my hand at it."

The inspiration came from Lightbody's love of modern Americana stalwarts Wilco, Calexico and Lambchop, bands that give a serious hat tip to traditional country but who also, he says, have the ability to "look at the darkness in America." Tired Pony songs such as the Neil Young-styled strum-fest "I Am A Landslide", dense rocker "Get On the Road" (featuring guest vocalist Zoey Deschanel) and acoustic neo-folk finery "Point Me At Lost Islands" indicate that Lightbody's obvious songwriting skills can translate not only across the ocean but across genres as well. Infinitely better than it needs to be (or should be, for that matter), The Place We Ran From is one of this year's best surprises. Highly Recommended. EPK video after the jump...

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Tired Pony - "Point Me At Lost Islands" (from the album The Place We Ran From)

Tired Pony - "Dead American Writers" (from the album The Place We Ran From)

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The Place We Ran From track listing:

1. Northwestern Skies
2. Get On The Road
3. Point Me At Lost Lands
4. Dead American Writers
5. Held In The Arms Of
6. That Silver Necklace
7. I Am A Landslide
8. The Deepest Ocean There Is
9. The Good Book
10. Pieces