City Dwelling Nature Seekers Channel The Band, Bring the Sax Back

Pittsburgh might be the only large city where you have to brake for wild turkeys. I once saw one at an actual crosswalk and it made my day. It’s also a city full of green hillsides, acres of parks and an actual herd of deer that live in a walled cemetery in the middle of the city (for real). So it should be no surprise that a band called City Dwelling Nature Seekers hails from that gem of the Rust Belt.

Pittsburgh is also home to a very fine and cruelly underrated Americana scene and CDNS comes in at the top of the pile. Heavily influenced by years of listening to The Band and Ryan Adams, City Dwelling Nature Seekers present a perfect mix of folk rock and Americana influences with just a pinch of out-there-ness to keep everyone guessing. Their new album The Winter Year is filled with poignant lyrics, excellent musicianship and the occasional saxophone section (remember I said it was a bit out there?).

The title track is a real introspective stunner but the true standout on the album is the incredibly catchy “Didn’t I”, a loping rootsy jam that poses the musing question, Didn’t I live without you once? – a good reminder for anyone who has ever tried to remember life before a broken heart. 

Pedal steel, mandolin and layers of vocal harmonies as well as a killer rhythm section make this record a must-hear for fans of Americana and classic rock alike.  And the band has kindly posted the whole album for streaming on Bandcamp.

More information is available here: : www.citydwellingnatureseekers.com