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Description
**The Spirit Moves** arrives in 2015 as Langhorne Slim's second full-length with his rock-solid backing band The Law, released on Dualtone Records in August of that year. If the first album was an earnest coming-of-age statement, this sophomore effort marks a reckoning-an artistic reset after the frontman turned his back on a growing drinking problem. The result is a 12-track record that bridges the gap between the raw folk-blues grit of his solo work and the more polished alternative rock sensibilities he'd developed through touring. Clay Jones helmed production duties, bringing his signature warmth and texture to the sessions; Jones, a veteran of the folk circuit, has the 95 credits to prove his name. The sound is vintage and straightforward, anchored by beautiful brass arrangements that give the record a cinematic quality uncommon in the indie Americana sphere.
Critical reception was largely favorable, with AllMusic describing the release as "a sure-footed step in the right direction"-a backhanded compliment that nonetheless speaks to its earnest craftsmanship. Metacritic aggregated reviews that suggest this is not Slim's magnum opus, but a solid consolidation of his strengths. What's fascinating is that he'd already begun experimenting with crowd-funding for **The Way We Move** (his 2011 release) by then, but by 2015 he'd fully embraced the commercial machinery of Dualtone. The deluxe edition extended the tracklist to 15 songs with three bonus cuts, though the core album remains the tighter, more essential statement.
For collectors, the real story here is Slim's artistic evolution. He's no longer the scrappy upstart but a seasoned hand who knows his audience and his craft. That's a crucial distinction. The brass-heavy arrangements, the interplay between Slim's weathered vocals and the band's disciplined rhythm section, and the way the songs unfold-whether it's the title track's declarative "The spirit moves / Take, take my hand"-all point to a musician in his elements. If you're deep enough in the Americana canon to appreciate this work, you'll understand that Slim's growth is measured in restraint and refinement, not novelty or shock value.
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