It is nigh impossible not to fall for The Milk Carton Kids. In terms of harmony, delivery, and overall songcraft the Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale duo are unsurpassed. I am inspired by artists who possess the ability to elevate a genre or in the case of TMCK, bust it to pieces. And although it is natural to try to place TMCK into a box and label it Folk, Bluegrass or Southern Rock Pop, etc. But The Milk Carton Kids won’t stay contained, not even close. Listen to their new track “Snake Eyes,” which premiered on Rolling Stone (1/08/13) and it is more than evident these guys far exceed the usefulness of their current band name. Or perhaps it is part of their wonderful duplicity, to put forth an almost juvenile designate, which at first glance conjures immaturity, but in the end offer listeners a thing wholly divergent reality. When you click play, what you get is a slow motion gut-check, a stave through your heart but without all the blood, yet still passion aplenty. These aren’t mere songs, they’re reservoirs of a revelatory depth of character, emotion and beauty. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming debut LP, ‘The Ash and Clay’, and it also serves double-duty as the soundtrack to Gus Van Sant’s latest film, Promised Land. The Milk Carton Kids are a namesake defied kind of deal, and an admonishment to not judge a band by its Saturday morning kids show name. Peace. Continue reading “the milk carton kids // snake eyes”