- Playing 'til the cows come home
For all intents and purposes, Justin Ringle is Horse Feathers. Originally formed as a duo with Peter Broderick, Ringle has been perfecting a wispy folk and country hybrid since the group’s 2006 debut, Words Are Dead. Broderick has since bowed out of the project, and Ringle recruited three new members for the third Horse Feathers album, Thistled Spring. The personnel changes have affected the band’s approach very little, although some of the new record’s songs marry Ringle’s tunes with bigger banjo, violin and viola arrangements. The centerpiece is still Ringle’s warm melodic approach — the moving “Starving Robins” and “The Widower” are Thistled Spring’s highlights. Expect precious little grinnin’ to accompany their pickin’, but what Horse Feathers lack in a sense of humor, the measured beauty of Ringle’s songs easily offsets. They play the Beachland Tavern at 8:30 p.m., with Cloud Nothings and Brian Straw opening. Tickets: $8 advance, $10 day of show. —Chris Drabick
