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Home , Beat the Champ, Beth Hart, Better Than Home, Built to Spill, John Darnielle, Jon Wurster

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record’s centerpiece “Brush Up Against You,” a more-or-less instrumental blues 2013’s wildly popular From the Hills undertaking that teeters on the avant- Below the City. This isn’t just a band garde. Finally, the whole thing wraps up rolling over the successes of their debut, with a tribute to Osborne’s New Orleans but rather an ensemble harnessing and blues roots, a modern reimagining of expanding their sound with supreme James Wayne’s “Junco Partner.” It’s a solid confidence. Along with tracks that recall effort all around that, more than anything, the slick, foot-stomping, roots rock comes off as a testament to the power created on their debut (“Sedona,” “Honey of the low-key, carefree jam session. Slider”), the quartet experiments with a Sam D’Arcangelo rawer, garage-rock sound (“15 Years,” “By God”) brimming with the honesty Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers and energy of their live performance. Loved Wild Lost LITTLE SUR Thematically, honesty is all over this Nicki Bluhm comes across record—almost in a defiant manner—as as a modern country Matt Myers exclaims on the troubadour who’s been delicate “For No One,” “Sing a song for schooled in traditional you, but I sing for no one.” Rob Slater trappings. Her easygoing demeanour blends contemporary attitude Unknown Mortal Orchestra Jr.—are evident throughout, especially in stood in my way.”) And while succeeding with down-home distinction. With hubby Multi-Love SECRETLY CANADIAN the combined melody and mayhem that songs take a more subdued turn, from Tim Bluhm (of The Mother Hips) and her Portland-via-New Zealand defines “Living Zoo,” “On The Way” and the troubled tone of “Tell ‘Em to Hold band The Gramblers in tow, Bluhm takes trio Unknown Mortal “Another Day.” Along the way, they give On” to the moving, melodic ballads her inspiration from both Bakersfield and Orchestra have shaded listeners plenty to connect with as far “St. Teresa” and “,” the backwoods, singing songs about their work with R&B colors as recurrent refrains and fist-pumping Hart’s assurance and determination are hard-living women and eager party gals, since the beginnings, but exhortations are concerned. Call it always evident. When, in the defiant while rarely discerning any difference with Multi-Love, bandleader Ruban controlled excess or unrepentant rock. “Tell Her You Belong to Me,” she implores between the two. Loved Wild Lost also Nielson fully unleashes his inner Prince— Untethered Moon falls just short of an unfaithful lover to reject her rival’s finds a fair amount of twang stirred into transmitting his careening falsetto over coming unhinged. Lee Zimmerman advances, she remains resolute (“No, the brew, particularly on tracks like synth-washed funk on the majestic she’ll never win/ ‘Cause I’m not giving “Simpler Times,” “Only Always” and “Love -opener “Multi-Love.” “She don’t in…”). Hart’s songs sound like standards, Your Loved Ones,” and indeed, every want to be a man or a woman/ she wants MERGE and she makes it clear that she’s a star. song offers some variation of a homespun to be your love,” Nielson sings, his voice Wrestling, in all its Lee Zimmerman design. There’s also a certain reverence sounding charmingly alien and slightly permutations—with the at work here, as evidenced on the album’s distorted. When the bridge hits, it sounds world, in the mind, on the gospel-flavored send-off, “Heavy Hey Ya.” almost like something Jamal Lyon might canvas—is the theme of The Carrie & Lowell ASTHMATIC KITTY Sweet, sassy and celebratory, Loved sing during an episode of Empire. The Mountain Goats’ 15th studio Whether he’s writing Wild Lost captures Bluhm at her best. breakbeats and grooves here feel lived- album, and it comes across as more of a orchestral indie-rock epics Lee Zimmerman in, warm and genuine: “Like Acid Rain” close-quarters, drawn-out grapple than about American expansion sounds like Ariel Pink at his most earnest, a flying body slam. Since the early lo-fi (“Come on, feel the Sister Sparrow & and on “The World Is Crowded” Nielson experimental days of the MGs, founder Illinoise!”) or intimate folk The Dirty Birds struts like he’s got D’Angelo’s Black and frontman has made ballads about spiritual liberation (“To The Weather Below P A R T Y F O W L / Messiah pumping in his earbuds. UMO his weird folk bacon purveying endless Be Alone with You”), Sufjan Stevens THIRTY TIGERS aren’t afraid to shake it up on songs like layers of meaning. Beat The Champ’s is a frequently flamboyant storyteller— Sister Sparrow & The “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone,” with narrative thread unspools with the feel of wringing emotional clarity from Dirty Birds perfect their its electronic pulse, and “Puzzles,” which a staged musical (“Fire Editorial,” with its unpredictable sounds and subject take on soul revivalism features the album’s heaviest Broadway jazz dynamics, jumps out), but matter. But he takes a more linear with their newest release, before settling into a quiet finish. The each song stands on its own, from the approach on his seventh LP, Carrie & The Weather Below. The album excels when it blends all of its upbeat and heroic “The Legend of Chavo Lowell, channeling the grief from his album, produced by Ryan Hadlock (The influences, like on “Necessary Evil,” the Guerrero” to the violent snapshots of the mother’s death into 11 heart-wrenching Lumineers, Vance Joy), opens with a record’s best song. Nielson and Co. hauntingly quiet “Hair Match” (“Cheap acoustic meditations. The album—named pair of funky party starters in the blaring employ smooth lounge horns before electric razor from the thrifty down the after Stevens’ late mom and his label/ “Borderline” and the low-key, yet equally steering the song’s soul-pop sound into street/ Two guys down around your partner’s stepfather—was largely festive, “Sugar.” “Prison Cells” is an a heady, synth-led progressive rock ankles so you’ll stay put in your seat…”). recorded in the singer-’s enjoyable, though slower, burn before the detour—it’s heavy, soulful and agile. Bassist and drummer Brooklyn office studio. The arrangements group delivers the record’s first single— Jason Woodbury also lend a solid and are suitably sparse with and banjo and best track—“Mama Knows.” Singer seamless backing to Darnielle’s acoustic plucks, an occasional chord, the Arleigh Kincheloe is at her sultry, soulful guitars and piano, making this not just an distant hum of an air conditioner—none of best every time she digs into that, “If you Untethered Moon WARNER BROS. expertly crafted Goats album, but an the fluttering woodwinds or electronic ain’t got love, you ain’t got nothing” refrain. As far as indie bands go, impeccably recorded one, too. Bill Murphy avalanches that defined 2010’s The Age The album takes a turn on “Disappear” Built To Spill has fared of Adz. “What is that song you sing for and “Every Road,” two songs with remarkably well in the the dead?” Stevens asks on opener decidedly pop choruses that would make larger marketplace. Since Better Than Home PROVOGUE “Death With Dignity,” his boyish tenor for bona fide radio hits if they lived in Kelly signing with a major label Beth Hart has made quite backed by fingerpicked chords and Clarkson’s corner of the world. The tracks nearly 20 years ago—an impressive feat a name for herself in the encouraging choral voices. He spends sit adjacent to other highlights—the ultra- for any band of their ilk—they’ve scored 15-plus years since her 44 minutes attempting to answer that smooth “Don’t Be Jealous” and the pulsing any number of successful while single “LA Song (Out of This question—from the crescendoing “We Need a Love”—and the record closes still managing to tour consistently, Town)” gained international “Should Have Known Better” to the out with the cool and confident “Catch garnering the ongoing support of both recognition and garnered placement on faded photograph reverie “Eugene.” Me If You Can.” All in all, it’s a solid their record company and their devoted an episode of Beverly Hills 90210. With The catharsis is staggering. Ryan Reed collection of tunes that are tied together following in the process. Not surprisingly several songs topping the blues charts, by Kincheloe’s vocal prowess, a tight then, Untethered Moon, the group’s first collaborations with both and Kaki King rhythm section and some filthy horn new offering since 2009’s well-received , and various Grammy The Neck Is a Bridge to the Body layers. Sam D’Arcangelo , showcases a band nominations to her credit, Hart’s success SHORT STUFF that’s revived and resolute, chock-full seemed assured. On Better Than Home, On her Kickstarter page Houndmouth of assertive riffs and sizzling rhythms. she makes good on that promise, seeking initial financing Little Neon Limelight ROUGH TRADE The opening salvo of “All Our Songs” delivering a veritable tour-de-force that for the project, Kaki King Sophomore LPs aren’t sets the mood, a fearsome combination highlights her remarkable prowess as writes, “The Neck Is a supposed to sound this of bombastic guitars and screeching both a singer and a songwriter. Little Bridge to the Body is a effortless and confident, vocals that likens Built To Spill to the wonder then that opening track “Might As new kind of guitar exploration with live but that’s precisely the way aural equivalent of a ticking time bomb. Well Smile” projects unbridled optimism. music and video projection. What sets that Indiana-based rockers Echoes of their prime influences— (“I woke up this morning/ With a smile on this show apart is that, for the first time, Houndmouth sound on their follow-up to Pavement, Crazy Horse and Dinosaur my face/ I threw out those stones/ That the guitar itself is being used as a

60 | APRIL_MAY 2015 | WWW.RELIX.COM