One of the most consistent and moody outings in the Califone catalogue, 2004's HERON KING BLUES finds the Chicago indie-rock act offering up a concept album based on the bird-themed recurring dreams of frontman Tim Rutili. Highlights of the record include the spare, haunting "Wingbone" and the gritty, sprawling title track.

On Heron King Blues, Califone continues to sharpen the attack they mounted on Quicksand/Cradlesnakes: a very natural-sounding blend of folk and blues, experimental rock, and electronic textures. "Wingbone" starts things out as an all-acoustic affair, with an understated (and somewhat cryptic) melodic vocal and pretty, complementary acoustic guitars. "Trick Bird" is next, and despite the appearance of loops and feedback, slides and scraping, the tune remains organic and folky even as it approaches the avant-garde. Therein lies the magic of Califone: their ability to create what are essentially laid-back, pretty acoustic songs, and still have the songs emerge after generous amounts of noise and texture have been added. "Sawtooth Sung a Cheater's Song" features some great junk-pile percussion at the end, while "Apple" floats on top of a murky synthesized rhythm. "Lion & Bee" is a return to the unadorned acoustic sound of "Wingbone," while "2 Sisters Drunk on Each Other" is a bit of a departure, finding Califone actually getting somewhere close to funky. The album's centerpiece has to be the title cut though: a nearly 15-minute-long delicious slab of detuned avant skronk blues that strongly echoes Captain Beefheart's Mirror Man album. Califone takes familiar elements and often combines them in unfamiliar ways without sounding unfamiliar or ever losing sight of the song. That's a difficult balancing act, and one that they pull off completely on Heron King Blues. ~ Sean Westergaard