Laura Veirs - Two Beers Veirs EP

I doubt I need to reiterate my fondness for Laura Veirs, so I'll just note that I was pleased as punch to get her new EP today. Two Beers Veirs is available only online and at stops on her upcoming tour. Clocking in at five tracks and 16 minutes long, it certainly isn't an essential buy for newbies. It is, however, a collection of songs that Veirs adores and says have informed her own playing style.

The liner notes say that these five tracks were recorded on a whim one February night with the assistance of producer and collaborator Tucker Martine and others. It's a really enjoyable package, and despite the lack of original material is very much in line with her regular folk-pop output. At the very least it reveals music dear to a compelling artist and a provides a satisfying morsel between LPs.

The tracklist, and a sample:

01. Spike Driver's Blues [Mississippi John Hurt]
02. Wildwood Flower [Maud Irving and Joseph Webster]
03. The Coo Coo Bird [Clarence Ashley]
04. Freight Train [Elizabeth Cotten]
05. Wasps of Rain [Mike Dumovich]

Two Beers Veirs is available online from Raven Marching Band.