Austin Sound

One of the privileges afforded by folk music belongs to the songwriter: the amount of space in which they can craft their worlds and their stories of truth, temptation, and many times, failure and heartache. A handful of leather-throated troubadours like Kris Kristofferson and Towns van Zandt have portrayed their own beautiful and sardonic personas in their carefully written pastoral, road/trail weary narratives. It’s the characters and, often times, their flaws that keep us listening.

In respect to Minorcan’s (aka Ryan Anderson) 12″ debut release on Blood on the Vinyl, Keep at Hand, three characters are woven into the tapestry of this LP. They are apparent on the album’s misleadingly stark cover. Pictured: A man and woman’s lower torsos in partial undress are seen being roped down by a pair of red stained hands.