Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Pufferfish – “Lean”

Seattle’s Pufferfish is well-situated in the Ball of Wax universe, counting frequent contributors (and in Levi’s case, Czar) Levi Fuller and Emiko Blalock among its members and the Foghorns, Casey Ruff, Jeremy Burk and Wesafari as past bill mates. “Lean” is a pretty thorough Americana meditation, driven primarily by banjo and Jonah Baker’s baritone drawl. As the song builds, bass, electric guitar and accordion fill in the spaces, though “Lean” never quite reaches a crescendo, content to wind around itself and hint at high points.