ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Hope For Agoldensummer
Ariadne Thread

Engineered by Andy Baker, Chris Waldorf, Ben Holst and David Barb
Mastered by Alex Lowe at ZAC Recording in Atlanta, GA

If Hope For Agoldensummer’s first album, I Bought a Heart Made of Art in the Deep, Deep South was an exploration of Southern decay, then the band’s second album, Ariadne Thread, muddles the mixture, adding references to Jack Kerouac, Andre Gide, John Berryman and, most extensively, ancient Greek myth. The album’s title refers to Ariadne, the princess who fell in love with Theseus, giving the hero a magical ball of thread and sword, which he later used to make his way through King Minos’s labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur. Wallace Cochran, cousin to the three sisters who make up Hope For Agoldensummer, writes a lyrical, multi-branching interpretation of the original Greek tale which is included in Ariadne Thread‘s liner notes, woven both visually and thematically around the sisters’ lyrics.

A sensation of labyrinthine age is apparent from Ariadne Thread‘s first track, “Hold Me Close in The Hallway.” As in many of the album’s songs, the cicada chirps of Georgia’s summer are used to back sweet two-and three-part vocal harmonies, while traditional folk instruments lend a lush, layered sound. Though the sisters’ voices have a deceptively young “breathy” quality, the lyrics of “Hold Me Close in The Hallway” have a much older ring, echoing the loss and pain Hope For Agoldensummer interpret in the myth of Ariadne and Theseus. Ariadne Thread‘s first track mirrors the myth’s beginning, “Hold me close in the hallway / I have found you, I have found you,” a fitting prequel to the joy and eventual sorrow seen through the rest of the album.

Though it feels criminal to describe Ariadne Thread as anything short of uniformly brilliant, certain tracks surpass even the high standard set by the album as a whole. “Katelina, Dear,” “Faded on the 14th,” and “Old Questions” (all written by Claire Cambell) each stands out as particularly suited to the band’s complex technique. “Last Summer’s Beach Trip,” Ariadne Thread‘s longest track, departs from Hope For Agoldensummer’s traditional sound successfully, incorporating an occasionally overwhelming electronic static and heavy drum beats which eventually crescendo, drowning out the sisters’ voices.

It’s common to see indie musicians appropriate and experiment with musical styles entirely outside the usual American rock tradition. In Ariadne Thread, Hope For Agoldensummer toys with this tendency, staying musically close to its roots, but artfully weaving ancient Greek mythology into the Southern folklore tradition which inspires the sisters’ music. (Self-released)

www.hopeforagoldensummer.com

Ben Grad

Tenspoke Indies
Blinded By The Sound

Produced by Tenspoke Indies / mixed by Rich Wise and Pat Woodward / Mastered by Pat Woodward

There is a certain sonic flexibility twisting and contorting its way throughout Tampa, Fla.-based rock band Tenspoke Indies’ latest release Blinded By The Sound. It’s almost a schizophrenic tone that weaves early Motley Crüe rock — or perhaps “rawk!” — with a slightly more modern, refined flavor of indie rock. While the seasoned quartet isn’t breaking any boundaries, Blinded By The Sound is 42 minutes and 44 seconds of big riffs, catchy hooks and plenty of energy. While it’s always rock, it varies from glam rock to pop punk to indie and back again, sounding almost like a timeline of popular rock genres or a desperate cry for a following. The album’s opening track, “Blinded By The Sound,” is a raucous, adrenaline shot of rock ‘n’ roll armed with ballsy riffs, huge guitar solos and thunderous drums. Tracks “Give To Get,” “Lights Out,” “Finally,” “Make Me Want You” and the album’s closer “Interstate” all play out like a “Walk This Way” practice space truce between Guns ‘n’ Roses and Jet. On the track “Over Your Shoulder,” Tenspoke delivers a slightly poppy droning similar to Weezer and displays a sort of epic indie rock ability on “Mayday.”

The battling genres and varying styles from one track to another give Blinded By The Sound a captivating quality and allow the Tenspoke fellows a distinct opportunity to exhibit their precocious musicianship. (Decadent Suite Records)

www.tenspokeindies.com

Matthew Godbey

The Redaction
When I’m Through Making Peace

Produced by The Redaction at Red Chair Music in Rock Hill, SC and at The Map Room in Decatur, GA / Mixed by Patrick Boyd / Mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte, NC

Andy Yates’ young and at times strained voice lends an early ‘90s flavor to The Redaction’s pop-heavy indie release When I’m Through Making Peace. Yates’ lyrics revolve around a cynical love of music (“The Next Big Thing”) or self-discovery, as in “You Won’t Return,” a song with lyrics like “I’ve got a picture on my wall framing the day of our discovery / Why does it seem the best has passed, stuck in a glass and slowly fading / You could have taught me well, but I’ll have to teach myself / Cause you won’t return,” that showcase Yates as a picturesque storyteller.

The album combines a mix of indie guitar riffs and bouncing melodies sang by someone seemingly older than his actual years. Lead singer Yates is somewhere between Robin Zander, Rivers Cuomo and The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne.
“On My Own” slows things down with a piano rhythm, revealing something other tracks don’t. It isn’t trying to sell a calculated idea or notion through its chorus. And “Let’s Go” is akin to walls coming down — slow and seething only to erupt with piano jabs and bruising drumming. “When I Make It” is Weezer-lite, another song for the next-big-thing theme of the album.

The Redaction’s middle-of-the-road rock essence seems a compromise from the band’s obvious abilities and where it could grow creatively. It’s as though they haven’t hit upon their true direction. While solid in playing and competence, it feels as if the members are making the music that a seasoned band does before it finds its true voice — and success.

The album’s songs are good — polished and serious — but they leave the feeling that there’s more on the horizon for the trio, something more meaningful than one of their tunes ending up as background noise for a teen television drama. (Self-released)

www.theredaction.net

Brian Tucker

Port Mahadia
Echoes In Time

Produced by Don Kelsey / Engineered by Kevin Synan / Mastered by Steve Childers

Port Mahadia’s Echoes In Time s a bold concept album of men at sea with a rough world before them. Partly instrumental, the album is laced with David Lee’s narration creating a layered story through music. Echoes in Time is a storybook album for adults, deriving strength from storytelling, walls of guitar riffs and world-at-sea imagery.

The instrumentals deliver. At seven minutes, “Horizons” soars. It’s pulled back down to Earth by the vocal-heavy “Requiem of the Mind” where Dio meets Serj Tankian of System of a Down. Damien Wilson and Dave Gilbert both deliver powerful and diverse vocals, one potent sonically and the other emotionally.
With opener “Prologue (Beach Discovery),” one is reminded of The Moody Blues and their lengthy “Nights in White Satin,” in which we were treated to musical theatre and art rock. Echoes in Time is an album’s worth of that idea. The difference is that Port Mahadia injects high flying polished metal guitar playing by way of Iron Maiden and copious amounts of frets in the guitar solos. In addition to large riffing, there are violins, cellos, ocean and beach sound effects and a choir. “I of The Storm” closes out at over 13 minutes comprised of eased down Metallica riffs and Rush-inspired rhythm.

Echoes in Time is part storybook and a film soundtrack to which there is no film to view. Rough seas, a ship and maps litter the CD’s packaging . Port Mahadia deliver something atypical in rock music. If only there was a storybook to fit in the CD case. (Giordano Records)

Brian Tucker

Hayshaker
Black Holiday in Mexico

All tracks recorded at Vision Sound Studios in Jacksonville, FL except “Mexico City” recorded with Eric McConnell in Nashville, TN

Swinging in from Waycross, Ga., the hometown of Gram Parsons, Hayshaker delivers a disc full of energetic and grungy bluegrass. It doesn’t matter whether you wear your flannel in Seattle or Kentucky, you’re going to find something on this album to like.

Black Holiday in Mexico kicks off with a Johnny Cash-styled intro and some pretty impressive picking on “Laurie’s Song” and then segues into the Meat Puppets-esque “In the Snow.” Songs constantly tread ground between the clean steel whines of traditional country and the distorted riffage of grunge-era rock, finding a comfortable middle ground in the loud-quiet-loud formula.

But it’s unfair to shoehorn Hayshakers too comfortably between those two genres. The best tracks on this CD are the ones that break the grunge/country dynamic and experiment in other sounds. “El Camino” is a rapid psychobilly surf rocker while “Dirtkick” maintains all the mean and dirty swagger of ‘70s hard rock.

Lyrically, Hayshaker renders a gothic country image that, while filled with the pre-requisite shit kicking and beer drinking, harkens back to the older age of country songs full of murder and angst. “Mexico City” illustrates this best when husband and wife vocalists C.C. and Laurie Rider harmonize on the chorus, “I lost my heart, I lost my soul / To a bottle and a whore in Mexico / And if I find her, execution / On the hills, on my land.”

Hayshaker’s unlikely, yet irresistible formula might not exactly be novel, but the band has certainly refined it, polished it and made it far more accessible than those that have preceded them, making this an album worth picking up. (Shut Eye Records)

www.myspace.com/honkeeband

David Feltman

James Irvin
James Irvin

Produced by James Irvin, Greg Rowell and Don Matthews / Engineered by Greg Rowell / Recorded, mixed and mastered at Main Street Music in Tuscumbia, AL

James Irvin’s placid, laid-back refrains are the perfect sort of college radio pop rock for a long drive. The Huntsville, Ala. multi-musician lays down the soothing vocals of a smoky balladeer while the upbeat tempos and catchy hooks are ideal foot-tapping fare. The combined effect lulls you into dreamy visions of serene and vacant locales secreted away at the bottom of your beer glass.

Irvin’s self-titled debut is full of great musical ideas drenched in ‘80s college rock stylings. Tracks like “Ghost” maintain all the moody atmosphere of a long lost Cure track, complete with closing “woah oh oh ohs” and synth lines. But Irvin seems to be at his best writing when he speeds up the beat on songs like “Fifty Miles Away” and “Country Tunes.” While such tracks aren’t as plentiful as one may hope, they’re entirely infectious and serve to drive the album forward. Still, Irvin doesn’t generally put the same energy in his vocals to match those peppy rhythms. Taking a few cues from singers like Joe Strummer, Elvis Costello or Rivers Cumo could go a long way to even out the more lively songs.

But that is just a minor gripe, especially in light of the fact that Irvin is the sole musician on this album. A veritable one-man show, Irvin is behind every guitar, bass, drum and keyboard note. And nit-picking over how vigorous his vocals are on a given track shouldn’t overshadow his obvious talents. (Gringo Lingo Music)

www.jamesirvinmusic.com

David Feltman

Anitra Holley
The Long Way Home

Produced by Hank Barbee, Aaron Thompson and Anitra Holley / Engineered and mixed by Aaron Thompson at Absolute Recording in Atlanta, GA / Mastered by Alex Lowe at Red Tuxedo Productions in Atlanta, GA

Atlanta’s Anitra Holley delivers sweet, sonorous vocals and polished, fiery lyrics on her captivating new release, The Long Way Home. Pure and spiritual, this collection of 10 melodies breathes the fresh, pristine air of country.

Holley is helped by songwriting partners Hank Barbee, Christopher White and Eric Frampton to pen the catchy hooks.

“The Hardest Fall” opens up with a feeling of reminiscence, creating a mood of stories of the autumn, creating new memories ahead.

“October” and “Be the One” are both beautifully spun musical yarns, caressing the listener’s soul with Holley’s honey-drenched voice, backed by the glorious vision and instrumental prowess of her band.

Jacob Lawson provides the spark needed on upright bass to guide the group, with the help of Rin Vinson on drums. Hank Barbee shines in his electric guitar solo to open up the darker, richer tune, “Coming Home.” Barbee puts forth great passion in his lapsteel, dobro and mandolin parts as well, further painting a cohesive melodic palate. Aaron Thompson brings in further energy with his smooth backing vocals, mandolin and acoustic guitars.

The band is cohesive, and the overall production quality and mastering is well executed. The instruments are brilliantly layered, the sound of the tracks thick and full. Each song stands up proudly, complete and appealing.

This record is a beautifully spun web of country joy, a meal to be truly savored with repeated listens. (Self-released)

www.anitraholley.com

Shawn M. Haney

Sean Kagalis
Connect (Live at Eddie’s Attic)

Recorded at Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta, GA / Mastered by Glenn Schick

Packed with energy and passion, Connect is the perfect live record. Sean Kagalis has worked hard carving a place in Atlanta’s local scene for years, and the fruits of his efforts are paying off nicely. Eighteen songs grace this performance at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, Ga., recorded in August of last year.

“Somethin’ Secret” is a beautifully written piece full of flair and wit, complete with a darker story and setting. Kagalis possesses the strong talent of presenting everyday life issues in his music, without losing the power of the melody and the impact of his guitar work.

Kagalis is a pure-bred acoustic guitarist extraordinaire, who can really rock with great emotion on his heavier songs. His guitar is sound and pure, the strings ring pristine, melodies drenched like honey and gold mixed together. Brennan Bray’s cello accompaniment captivates the audience further, fluid and glistening. The overall sound is thick and full, the recording done at Eddie’s clear as possible.
Kagalis sings, “I did my best, life is no contest” for the struggles of a human race that can truly believe and keep the faith to succeed in life and this ever-changing world. “I just get up and go, why would I regret, something I ain’t done yet,“ spills another of Kagalis’s many messages of wisdom.

The guitar work is flawless on most of the record. Kagalis edited and mastered this live recording after the performance with the help of Glenn Schick, taking out a broken string, cell phones and chitter-chatter.

Much of the mastery and genius of this work is due to the charm and personality of both Kagalis and Bray, whose soulful spirits truly shine with great fervor. (Self-released)

www.myspace.com/seankagalis

Shawn M. Haney

The Hitchcocks
We Are The Hitchcocks

Recorded by The Hitchcocks

There is a certain radical quality buried in Rick W’s sparkling, Bowie-inspired vocals. Though a little hidden at times, The Hitchcocks’ frontman possesses just enough cool in his voice to pull off the mostly creepy and sinister shroud circling his well-contemplated vocals. And it’s this complex vocal rivalry that carries The Hitchcocks through even the slightly mundane tracks on the band’s self-released debut, We Are The Hitchcocks.

The Decatur, Ga. trio may be newly formed, but its members are certainly not beginners. Guitarist and vocalist Rick W, bassist Allison S and drummer Chris S have decades of musical experience combined and the seasoned experience that shines through in The Hitchcocks’ composition, with track-by-track diversity and instrumental comprehension. But aside from the technical clarity on We Are The Hitchcocks, there is a sentimental tone that pings its way around the band’s respective influence. Back and forth, the band travels from The Velvet Underground to the Talking Heads and then off the wall of Pink Floyd before slamming into David Bowie. And perhaps that’s where The Hitchcocks lose some points. Though the band is great and the songs are written with a rare mastery of subtlety and amplitude, there’s an absence of individuality.

Nonetheless, We Are The Hitchcocks is a richly inspired album with a textured collection of tunes. Tracks such as “Kiss,” “Walk With Me” and “Divided” show the pop side of The Hitchcocks with upbeat tempos and sing-a-long lyrics while tracks like “Con,” “Fade Away” and “Beyond” display a little more of an edgy darkness in the band’s repertoire. (Self-released)

www.myspace.com/hitchcocks

Matthew Godbey

Packway Handle Band
Packway Handle Band

Recorded, engineered and mixed by Andrew Heaton at Hatecave Studios in Athens, GA / Mastered by Jeff Capurso at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA

Athens Ga.’s Packway Handle Band has released a fourth album. The self-titled record contains a spirited mix of instrumental and original tunes. It could be hard for a band to make its mark and stand out in a crowded genre revival like bluegrass, but Packway delivers in spades.

Packway Handle’s vocals vary between harmony and solo voice, sung into two microphones in a traditional live bluegrass setup. Though this setup can’t be seen, it can definitely be heard on this album. Packway captures the wonderful feel of a band in a living room or an intimate pub, sharing its latest tunes. Band members wrote all 11 songs on the album; this isn’t a group feeding off public access gems from yesteryear.

“Gets Me Every Time” is fun ditty about the notorious whiskey vice, telling the listener, if you’re going to get wasted, it might as well be on something worth the trip and any resulting misdeeds. “Strangers” is one of two songs about relationships, and it’s got a fast pace, played in an almost cyclical fashion by the instruments. The vocals alternate between unison and solo, adding to the effect. “Satan’s in Space” attempts to dispel tales of where the Devil resides. This song and “Earl the Duck” are the two most funny and irreverent songs on the album. With one lead vocal, the rest of the band forms a Jordanaires-style backup on “Satan’s . . .” “Earl the Duck” uses a capella harmony, fiddle, mandolin and banjo to tell its fable, a comical story of raising ducks, naming them in the wrong gender, and appreciating their loyalty, if nothing else.

Packway achieves uniqueness by blending bluegrass instrumentation with more contemporary and timeless track themes. (Self-released)

www.packwayhandleband.com

Kathleen Wehle

Elevation
Strangelove

Produced, recorded and mixed by Dan Hannon at Tree Sound Studios and Vintage Studios in Atlanta, GA / Mastered by Adam Ayan

Elevation originates from Athens, Ga. and has been around about five years, yet Strangelove is the band’s debut. It is made up of Nathan Smith on vocals, Andrew Averso on lead guitar, Stephen Bailey on drums, Chase Schell on bass and Luke Hickok on guitar. The CD is an audiovisual album; when dropped in a computer’s CD tray, it becomes a video documentary of the band, ideal for iTunes and multimedia presentation.

Intense guitar and vocal sound appears to be Elevation’s calling card, hence many comparisons to U2. Other past comparisons have included Oasis and Jet, but Coldplay’s debut album, Parachutes, could easily be added to the list as far as mood goes; the desperation, obsession and alienation are all here. Vocal stylings are reminiscent of Rush on tracks like “Let It Ring Out,” other songs show traces of similar ‘70s big theatrical-sounding rock songs by the likes of Queen and Styx.
“Maybe Tomorrow” is more of a slow rock ballad, the vocals matched with a wall-of-guitar sound. “Love and White Stars” takes a stronger percussion-based, alt-pop sound, while “Not Gonna Beg” and “Can’t Shake It Off” rely more on voice and piano, sometimes throwing in some theatrical organ. Other tracks, such as “Intro,” start slow with minimal instrumentation, then take a roller coaster dip into pure grinding rock.

Whether the links to U2 are intentional or just a springboard for a band with high aspirations, it becomes irrelevant after awhile. This is a strong start, but it’s where they’re going that’s really important. (Fifty Records)

www.elevationband.com

Kathleen Wehle

William Tonks
Catch

Produced by William Tonks / Engineered by Ben Holst and Jorma Starratt / Recorded at Chase Park Transductions and Starratt Studios in Athens, GA / Mixed by Ben Holst at Chase Park Transductions / Mastered by Jeff Capurso at Chase Park Transductions

Catch is the solo debut from Barbara Cue front man William Tonks. Tonks’ illustrious career in the Athens music scene includes guitar duty for the likes of The Cutter Travis Band, Redneck Greece De-lux, The Hot Burritos and The Workhorses of the Entertainment/Recreational Industry. During the periods of downtime from his other bands, Tonks began working on material for his solo release.

Tonks’ brand of acoustic folk-rock is as simplistic as is it earnest, and one can really hear the sincerity in Tonks’ voice. Though Tonks enlisted the help of some of his friends and former band-mates to play various instruments on Catch, it remains very minimalist. Catch embodies the type of down home, back porch fundamentalism typical in early folk and county music. The songs on Catch touch upon the usual themes — reflections on love and life and Tonks’ own world views. On songs like “Cookie” and “Boy with Skull,” Tonks’ bluegrass leanings and his proficiency at slide guitar really show through. Tonks has a musical style that remains very much his own, but his first effort could easily win over fans of James Taylor or Hank Williams. The songs “20 Million Things,” a jangly ode to time management and “The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen,” a hauntingly beautiful song about people, the times, and how they’re a-changin,’ remain the standout tracks. If anything, Catch is a good example of why William Tonks has remained an essential musician in the Athens area for over the past 25 years. (Ghostmeat Records)

www.myspace.com/williamtonks

Charley Lee

Audiocrash
Time Sensitive Material

Produced by Craig Maseratti and Guy Strzepek / Mixed and mastered by Keith Rose at Liquid Ghost Studios in Boca Raton, FL

Time Sensitive Material is a diverse collection of songs composed by Craig Maseratti and Guy Strzepek. The Fort Lauderdale band’s sound is classic indie pop rock, with infectious melodies and catchy, relatable lyrics about love and life, but it’s the band’s use of many different layers of music and vocals in each song that makes the music notable.

The first track, “My Fault,” opens with an acoustic guitar and Guy Strzepek’s passionate vocals on the first verse, with layers of instruments and vocal harmonies added in its evolution. The songs “Because,” “Life Line” and “I’ll Always Be With You” swirl around in their individual layers and vocal harmonies, while the instrumental “Leprechauns Waltz” has a distinctive Celtic flair.

“Otherwise” and “Everyday” have an edgier tone compared to the rest of the songs but still have the multiple layers characteristic of Audiocrash’s music. The piano ballad “Captain America” stands out not only lyrically but also musically because of its simplicity. As with the opening track, the last song “Chasing Sunlight” starts off with a stark acoustic beginning, adding in layers of instruments and vocal harmonies as it brings the CD to a close.

This debut CD from Audiocrash will not only appeal to fans of indie-pop, but all music fans of any style could find the songs here inviting because of the musical diversity. (Dirty Garage Records)

Kat Coffin

Citified
The Meeting After The Meeting

Recorded at Duckee Studios #9 in Mebane, NC / Produced and mixed by Jerry Kee / Mastered by David Malboeuf

What can first be noted from Citified’s sophomore release are the vocals of lead singer Chris Jackson. With the natural grit and hollow of his voice, Jackson’s melodies throw back to early ‘90s grunge bands but still maintain their own sense of progressiveness. Rather than getting lost in guttural whines or inaudible hair-slinging rages, the vocals are layered and soft-spoken. This is not to say that the lyrics are always easy to pick out, but they do add a certain amount of comfort and familiarity to each track, regardless of whether or not you know what is being said.
As for the instrumentation, the North Carolina-based indie rock band seems to practice a certain form of restraint. Teetering between the slow strum of The National and the lighthearted keyboarding of The Shins, The Meeting After The Meeting helps to support the claim that sometimes less is, in fact, more.

The songs on the album flow with ease from one to the next. Though there are only seven on the album, all the tracks have similar fibers that thread throughout the work. In the end, it’s like listening to a family of related tracks, instead of a bunch of songs just slapped together for the sake of a record.

One of the standout singles from the group’s second release includes “Line The Streets,” which picks up the album’s tempo and begins to show off some of Diego Diaz’s guitar skills. The song “Mascot” also shows Citified’s musical versatility as it shifts speed, style and mood throughout its duration. (Eskimo Kiss Records)

www.myspace.com/citified

Cristina Martin

Morning Lights
The First Day

Recorded and mixed by Kieth Vogelsong

After previously releasing the Visions EP, the Atlanta-based Morning Lights have kicked it up a notch with their full length LP, The First Day. The opening chords of the first track, “Night Flies,” give a feeling of undefined wonderment and are comparable to the ambient sound of bands like Explosions In The Sky and Eluvium. But the album does not solely set up shop in this dreamy state. Instead, it travels through varied ranges of emotions, sometimes calm and collected, like in “Why I Don’t,” and other times with a bit of bounce that can be found in songs like “Freon.”

Suspended guitar notes and space-like keyboard arrangements are laden throughout The First Day. With these layered sounds, Morning Lights create an array of long instrumental parts that intro and end almost every song on the album. However, this approach at the beginning and end of the tracks starts to err more on the side of repetitiveness, rather than cohesiveness, after a while. Still, the moments when the instruments stand alone successfully set up the tone of every song as the record progresses.

Throughout the album, Marcus Richardson’s voice is drowned out by the guitars and the drums. The mixing appears to be unbalanced, and thus make it difficult to judge Richardson’s vocal abilities as well as the bands lyrical content. By no means is The First Day an instrumental album, but with the singing so difficult to hear, the rest of the instruments can’t help but become the main attraction. (Self-released)

www.morninglights.org

Cristina Martin

Micah Dalton
Pawnshop

Recorded and mixed by Derek Webb at Smoak Stack Studios in Nashville, TN

“I can’t afford to work as hard as I really should... I am a man, ‘n almost as good as it gets.” Micah Dalton croons these simple words over a steady drumbeat, backed by slide on resonator, organ, piano and maraca shakes reminiscent of an old steam train’s chug. The lyrics come from the song, “The Autobiography of Milton Burroughs,” the second track from Micah Dalton’s new album, and it’s so catchy that it risks eclipsing the rest of Pawnshop. Surprisingly, the catchy musical hooks and understated lyrical complexity that Dalton displays in “The Autobiography of Milton Burroughs” aren’t unique — almost every one of his tracks can be described in similar terms.

Of course, a dozen catchy songs don’t always equal a quality record. Though Dalton’s sandpaper croon is compelling over Pawnshop‘s first few tracks, it begins to grate by the album’s sixth and seventh tracks “We Came Alive Tonight” and “Down, Down, Put It Down,” especially because these tracks follow “Rev.

Ramshack Run,” a piano-banging, chorus-driven travelogue. The six songs which make up Pawnshop‘s last half attempt to break this monotony by swinging wildly between genres, from disco tinged folk in “Down, Down, Put It Down,” to the R&B ballad in “Grandest Prize,” to the surf-rock style drum interludes in “She Uses Love Like A Cuss Word.” These stylistic wanderings are a disconcerting shift from the smokey folk ballads Dalton plays so well in the first half of Pawnshop.

Taken as a single album, Pawnshop falls far short of the high standard Micah Dalton has established with his live shows and earlier records. In a perfect world, the first five tracks from Pawnshop would have been released as an EP, leaving the latter half of the album to be reworked for a later release or scrapped entirely. (Rebuilt Records)

www.micahdalton.com

Ben Grad

Modern Groove Syndicate
Ms. Popular

Produced by Modern Groove Syndicate / Mixed by Modern Groove Syndicate with Stewart Myers / Mastered by Fred Kevorkian / Recorded at Wishlist Recording Studios in Richmond, VA

Even though Modern Groove Syndicate incorporates so many instruments and styles into its musical conglomerate — funk, jazz, hip-hop, Latin and soul all are present here — the question remains: does Modern Groove Syndicate offer anything to make themselves stand out?

It goes without saying that these five musicians are wildly talented. The smooth and rustic jams of “El Guapo” and “Soul Prostitution” demonstrate a refined ability for collective tastefulness and patience, as each instrument, although reserved one moment, launches into experimentation the next. More earnest tracks, like “Raleigh,” show a more vivacious and colorful side, as organ and saxophone commingle to create an unrestricted riff that is not only multi-cultural, but highly listenable and skillfully stunning.

But are they original? On “Bunky Flues,” you can distinctly hear the band groping for authenticity, especially as the keyboard is used more as a medium for adding color, texture and sponteneity than it is for writing a radio-friendly song. “Bunky Flues,” in fact, could be seen as a waste of space in the eyes of folks not interested in impulsiveness; here Modern Groove Syndicate is like musical Kerouac. Which is, perhaps, the band’s closest analog. But the line between uninspired and inspired in the jam band genre is gray, and ultimately MGS, although delightfully listenable, might search for more steady nuance in their rightfully anticipated sophomore effort. (Courthouse Records)

www.moderngroovesyndicate.com

Brian Gilton

LB Collective

Let It Go

Recorded at Nickel and Dime Studios in Atlanta, GA

The soulful, introspective sounds of Atlanta's Laura Benjamin and her group LB Collective are sure to charm listeners. With sounds and lyrics reminiscent of dames such as Fiona Apple and k.d. lang, LB Collective's latest release let it go will capture the hearts of listeners who yearn for moody, abstract, melodies. The piano-playing singer/songwriter carefully weaves a variety of styles and genres into the fabric and substance of this CD. This album begins and ends sounding like contemporary, light pop music, but in between the first and last tunes, Southern, country-fried delicacies abound. The first song, "Oblivion," has a funky, bluesy feel similar to what one might hear in a smoke-filled lounge full of pool tables with patrons sipping on PBR while the wailing Benjamin suggests that maybe she should "fall into oblivion."

The last song "What Would He Think" is the story about a girl growing up and wondering what her late father would think and say about what she has become, and the vocals and style are similar to Celine Dion. Track 5, "With us for Awhile," especially has the potential of becoming a classic country music hit due to is heavy reliance on slide-steel guitar playing and its twangy effects on the guitar. A standout is "Goodbye Pluto." A song with piano, lyrics and vocals similar to Tori Amos, it tells a story about how it was wrong when some in the scientific community decided not to classify Pluto as a planet in Earth's solar system any longer. Other musicians contributing to this delightful CD are A.J. Holz on bass, Steve Mounce on percussion, and Diana Mounce on vocals. This piece also features Doug Kees on guitar and Cameron Hizer on keyboards. (Self-released)

www.myspace.com/thelbcollective

-James Hester