Oakland, California-based indie folk troubadour Ethan Buckner creates the kind of lush sonic tapestries we have come to associate with Sam Beam, Justin Vernon, and Glen Hansard. Like those artists, Buckner has chosen to record under an elusive moniker, The Minnesota Child—a name that will surely serve the mystery and scope inherent in his lonesome whimsy.
The Minnesota Child’s first full-band EP, “Fireflies” is an exquisite debut. Produced by Jeff Saltzman (The Killers, Blondie) and Ethan’s brother Matt Buckner, the music is adorned with tasteful harmonies and rustic rhythms, while never taking its attention away from Buckner’s wispy vocals. The record is admittedly a bit frontloaded with the strongest material (songs that reflect the expansive nature of the Midwest) but it makes up for it in the intimate Simon & Garfunkel-esque closer “Love is Everything” which brings the singer-songwriter’s strengths back to the forefront in the form of a sumptuous, cosmic love ballad.
Of the subject matter, Ethan explains, “It’s been a beautiful process these past few years working with my brother Matt, who co-produced the record, to take the intimate, vulnerable, raw songs and infuse them with a full range of sound and color. Everyone who worked on this album poured so much soul and care into giving each song life and character. My hope is for folks to listen when they need to find some hope in these tumultuous times, to find light in whatever darkness they might be facing.”
