Courtesy of Norfolk & Western frontman Adam Selzer, LocalCut is pleased to present a “rough mix” of a track from the band’s upcoming follow-up to 2006’s The Unsung Colony. According to Selzer, the album’s set for release in fall of ‘08 (label undetermined). And this particular, lengthily titled track, “Sue and the Short Order Cook from Chesterfield, South Carolina,” is proof positive that as much as things change, they stay the same.

See, in an October interview with Norfolk drummer Rachel Blumberg—she’d just returned from a big, long tour with Bright Eyes—Blumberg mentioned that Norfolk had pared things down a bit, as the folk-noise ensemble thing had kinda blown up and they were eager to simplify their approach. In her own words: “The Norfolk thing’s been really cool lately because it’s just been me and Adam and Dave [Depper]. It’s just a three-piece now…I can’t reiterate how fun it is…I’m really excited about what will come from that.”

Considering “Short Order Cook” is the result of a recording session with (as Selzer puts it) “esteemed Spanish recording guru” Paco Loco—which took place when Blumberg, Depper and Selzer visited Spain last fall to play the Tanned Tin festival—I’d say the new, fundamental version of the band needn’t worry about sounding too spare. As with Norfolk’s entire catalogue, the singluar elements of the band’s fuzzy folk sound: Selzer’s distinctly distorted guitar and narrative songwriting and Blumberg’s shuffling, klezmer-tinged drums (which is not to sell Depper’s effortless, rooted bass skills short)—are still in full effect. If this cut acts as a tiding of things to come for the band, I’m all for doing away with the fluff: Selzer and Blumberg’s strengths are so strong at this point that they easily stand on their own.

Download audio file (chesterfield.mp3)

Norfolk & Western plays Saturday, Jan. 26, with Point Juncture, WA and Bark, Hide and Horn at the Doug Fir. 9 pm. $10. 21+.

Links:
Norfolk on the web
NorfolkSpace

Photo: Post-show love: Peter Broderick, Blumberg, Selzer and Depper (left-right) in Denver, Col., April 2006, taken from Norfolk’s website.