New Year\’s Eve always suggests a new beginning, and \”Cynic’s New Year” welcomes Horse Feathers\’ fans with the promise of something new. To be sure, old friends return. Wrapped around Justin Ringle’s unique vocals are sparkling guitars, dancing fiddles, and smoky banjo woven through the foundation of the lower strings But new elements are everywhere: horn, woodwind and brass appear and fade, and drums drive the beat in places, providing new texture and heft. The lyrics traverse familiar themes from natural disaster to the deeply personal, each through Justin Ringle’s uniquely American linguistic lens. New vistas and new stories are explored with deep insight and fresh intimacy, always with an abiding respect and affection. The universe rises to threaten, inspire, and sometimes punish, but always to teach a valuable lesson. Souls, lost and found, embark on thoughtful emotional journeys.

Previous press:
“I would recommend Thistled Spring to anyone with Cass McCombs, Bon Iver, Will Oldham, and even Horse Feathers’ own onetime KRS labelmate Elliott Smith in their rainy (or any) day playlists.” – Entertainment Weekly

“[Horse Feathers] has quietly stored up more staying power than most… [Justin] Ringle and his bandmates’ compositions have gotten increasingly rich since their acoustic 2006 debut, Words are Dead, with that spare sound turning into something much more worn-in and sonically engulfing, a trend that continues on the new Thistled Spring.“ – The Onion

“Imagine Fleet Foxes on an empty stomach: beautiful, but not exactly comforting…the song, ”Belly of June,” is a marvelously weird little ditty, with haunting streaks of cello counteracting Justin Ringle’s mountainside warble.” -Prefix