Sans Abri uses an arsenal of folk instrumentation to create a front porch stomping bluegrass sound for their debut EP Shelter. The accumulation of acoustic instruments build an overall fast paced group of songs with first class picking.

The album is a roller-coaster, having light-hearted moments of playfulness and also possessing dark self analyzation. The darkest of the songs is “Winds Me Up” that starts with the startling line “Doctor tried to crush me in the birth canal, he didn’t want to let me out, now sometimes I wonder if he knew something I don’t.” but the song isn’t near dark enough to make you finish tieing the noose. The gentle strums and vocal harmonies that pepper the record are still present on the track helping out as well. The duo lets their inner hippies out for “The Scientist” as they have some fun questioning creation and they let loose on the opening track of the 7 song EP with “Self Preservation” complete with its thunderous sing-along chorus.

The two members of the project keep up pace with one another making for the better parts of the songs when the two harmonize while holding on task with their aggressive strumming, making their music shine. These songs fall nicely right in-between folk and bluegrass but not quite fitting either genre. With the extremes of the slowed down “Winds Me Up” and the speedy delivery of “Every Turn” it is easy to see how this album doesn’t really lean too far either direction and that itself makes for an interesting listen.

Key Tracks: “Winds Me Up” “Every Turn”