It tends to be a common thing with creative spirits. Reed Turner can’t stay put. He’s lived in a variety of impressive spots: LA, Nashville, Boston, Portland, you name it. And on top of that, he’ll tell you he was made for touring, which is what he’s done for most of his musical career. But Turner was raised in Austin, and that is where everything fell into place for his album Ghosts In the Attic.
As any Austin-based musician will tell you, this is a place to nurture strong collaborations with many other talented musicians, which is what Turner found through his own Austin connections. Ghosts In the Attic features significant songwriting and vocal contributions from longtime band mate Phoebe Hunt, bassist Pat Harris, and singer Ellie Carroll.
This follow-up to Turner’s widely praised 2011 EP, Side One: See How Far I Get, feels slightly darker in some ways, most notably with the eerie ballad “Killed That Girl,” or my other favorite, the grimy swamp ditty “Long Gone” (featuring Hunt on harmonies). Ultimately, it shows how Turner’s strengths as a storyteller and a multi-faceted songwriter have grown.
Gotta be one of my new favorites. See Reed Turner at his show Friday night at the Cactus Cafe, 24th and Guadalupe in the Texas Union on the UT campus. Opening the show is songwriter Sahara Smith. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. Recommended.
