As The Sparks Fly Upward

Going from awful to catastrophic on multiple levels, the world doesn’t feel so much like a dumpster fire lately as it does a crashing meteor. Mercifully, we have alt.-country folk rockers Harvest Thieves igniting a more loving flame from a global and personal perspective with As The Sparks Fly Upward. Everything’s crashing down around us in a twisted heap, but bandleader Cory Reinisch steers us toward indestructible love that perseveres despite the madness.

From the steadfast heart of “Friendly Fire,” to the unrestrainedly poignant and pragmatic pedal-steel twang of “Empire Falls,” to Annah Fissette‘s haunted vocals narrating ghostly regret on “Unrequited,” the album burns with unapologetic intensity from every angle. And, as on today’s AMM-featured track “Cadillacs In The Sky,” it pierces both heart and mind: “Are you washed in the blood, by the shepherd that you seek? / Why would you speak the truth when there’s no need?”

Take in the new music when Harvest Thieves performs tonight, Friday Feb. 16, at Jet Or Not Management’s Rachel Citron’s birthday extravaganza at Radio East, 3504 Montopolis Dr. Artist/songwriter Lani Thompson’s new musical project Street Peach is making a debut this evening, and DJ Vegan Leather – a.k.a Jonathan Terrell – provides the spins for the party. Doors at 8 p.m.