Norman is a band defined by its surroundings: the green, lush, and often soggy landscapes of Oregon's Willamette Valley. An aesthetic layered with fields and farms, trees and hills, the valley is sandwiched between two mountain ranges and extends North to Portland, Oregon. Norman's sophomore full-length, Hay, Hay, Make a Wish and Turn Away conjures images of a flatbed pickup rambling down a dusty country road on a warm Summer evening. Find a field, throw down a blanket, and play this record with the doors open and windows down, while you lay on your back watching the stars, wishing on the ones that fall. While it may be stating the obvious, Norman most clearly embodies Harvest Moon-era Neil Young, while drawing a wide range of comparisons including My Morning Jacket, Uncle Tupelo, Ryan Adams, and even fellow Portlanders, Blitzen Trapper.

The real anthem of the record, Hell If I Love, is an up-tempo, alt-country jam that rocks and rolls, and even springs an occasional Byrds-meets-Fleet Foxes harmony, giving the record an undeniably solid foundation. Hay, Hay, Make a Wish and Turn Away has equal parts love songs, folk-pop explorations, and rockers, and plays from beginning to end like a true LP should: well-rounded and complete. The record employs a wide range of textures and instruments, including harmonicas, banjos, piano, a live recording of Oregon rain (The Wild & The Tame) and a healthy dose of swampy organs with rockabilly guitars.

Norman was born in 2004 as the solo project of Eric Nordby, the band's charismatic singer and songwriter. Like many bands, Norman has evolved over the past few years into what it is today: a collective of Northwest artists, whose influences span Tom Petty to Buffalo Springfield and Wilco. Norman released their first record (self titled) in June 2007, followed by an EP (You Were The Sky) a year later. Hay, Hay, Make a Wish and Turn Away will be released by Timber Carnival Records (Portland, Oregon) May 2010.


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"Everything about this album was lovingly hand-crafted, from the deliberate song lineup that mirrors the shifting seasons to the thoughtful liner notes"
-Nancy Raskausus, Corvallis Gazette-Times

"Fold open the packaging for "Hay, Hay, Make a Wish and Turn Away," the richly rewarding second album by the band known as Norman, and you'll find this transcription: "This album is dedicated to the traditions we carry with us."

"It's a sentiment that fits well with the group's sound, one that draws from the deep well of folk and roots rock conventions: warm guitar tones, deep pocket rhythms, lush vocal harmonies and a lyrical penchant for melancholy."
-Robert Ham, The Oregonian

"For Oregon natives Norman are a dyed-in-the-wool classic Americana, alt-country band who, with their new album Hay, Hay, Make A Wish And Turn Away, conjure images of an old flatbed pickup rambling down a dusty country road on a warm Summer evening."
-The Mad Mackerel Music Blog