Anthem In
Anthem In

On first encounter, Anthem In’s schizophrenic stance gives the impression that the band is actually at odds with itself. While their low-cast, unassuming vocals and contemplative melodies suggest a furtive view, the kinetic rhythms that underscore these songs induce a sense of edgy uncertainty.

Consequently, it takes some time before mood and groove find synchronicity. There’s a palpable tension throughout, but songs such as “Photograph” and “Down” allow for an occasional lilt and sway. “This Side” provides an emotional surge with its resilient refrain, while “I’ll Tell You Everything” adds a buoyant chorus that brightens the feel even further. Ultimately there’s a lesson to be learned from this distinctive debut—namely, that when Anthem In let it all out, they’re clearly at their most compelling. —LZ

anthemin.net

Kelly Fitzgerald
That and Change

California-based Kelly Fitzgerald has garnered a bevy of regional accolades for her buoyant blend of country, rock and blues since she began releasing albums in the late ’90s. Logging over 200 dates a year solidifies her status as a stellar live act, and new studio disc That and Change captures everything fans have come to expect from this dynamic artist. Fitzgerald wrote or co-wrote every song, exuding witty sarcasm in barroom stomper “I’m Done” and alternatively dialing it back for the tender “You’re Gonna Be Safe.” With a versatile alto sometimes reminiscent of Mary Chapin Carpenter on the steel-guitar driven “I Already Know,” or later channeling Melissa Etheridge with her gritty delivery on “Happy to See You Go,” Fitzgerald continues to show us why she is worth every honor. —LCB

kellyfitzgerald.net

Tom Glynn
Living Proof

Remember the Reese’s Pieces commercials where someone with a chocolate bar stumbles into someone carrying peanut butter? Make it an Elvis Costello bar and a jar of Ben Folds, and you have your basic ingredients for Boston-based Tom Glynn on Living Proof.

Take “Matches,” a quest for forgiveness in which wordplay and internal rhymes infuse the song with energy: “You can burn me to the ground / Or we can bury the hatchet and you can put the matches down.” In “Magic Bonnie Wonder” Glynn waxes poetic about a mysterious traveling tambourine player—think “Mr. Bojangles” with a groove. Full band arrangements are underscored by melodic guitar solos.

With cuts on numerous TV shows and honors from the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Glynn—a musician since age 10—is living proof that hard work pays off. —MW

tomglynn.com

Matthew Perryman Jones
Swallow the Sea

Matthew Perryman Jones elevated the Nashville pop-rock scene with his 2006 offering Throwing Punches in the Dark. His poetic musings gave us a glimpse into the heart of a humble seeker who penned his doubts and hopes into progressive melodies. Jones’ optimistic, faith-filled tunes assured listeners that hope was not futile, even in the heaviest parts of life.

His follow-up effort, Swallow the Sea, finds him turning out equally soul-stirring content. Eschewing the editorial tendencies that can impede a song’s creation, Jones says he “relied on gut and instinct to steer me rather than crafted wit or cleverness.”

“Without a Clue” and “Save Me,” two of the disc’s standouts, prove that trusting his intuition was a good move. “Without,” adorned by subtle harmonies and ringing guitars, sweeps listeners along with nostalgic longing: “Remember when falling stars were made for you / When everything felt like April, May and June.”

Swallow the Sea is more musically ambitious than Jones’ earlier efforts. “I was fighting the temptation to do a stripped-down, indie-sounding record,” Jones says, “but these songs weren’t asking for that. Bands like the Pixies, U2, R.E.M., and Echo and the Bunnymen all shaped my musical palette. On this record I wasn’t afraid of letting my influences seep through a bit.”

With producer Neilson Hubbard (Garrison Starr, Glen Phillips) at the board and lending a hand in the writing, Jones’ sound mushrooms magnificently. Swallow the Sea is fueled by luxuriant atmosphere, otherwise referred to as “mood rock” by Jones, while Hubbard deftly harnesses each exquisite note so that the singer’s fervent tenor is never overshadowed. —LCB

myspace.com/mpjmusic

The Low Anthem
Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

The curiously titled Oh My God, Charlie Darwin is the striking third effort from three-piece Rhode Island outfit the Low Anthem.

This record navigates the dueling natures of science, politics and religion, intersecting with mankind’s primal need to be loved. The ensuing exploration is an eclectic, genre-bending compilation comprised of lurid imagery and musical complexity.

Eerie folk opener “Charlie Darwin” finds vocalist Ben Knox Miller floating mid-air, entreating, “Cast your wreckless dreams upon our Mayflower / A haven from the world and her decay,” in pristine falsetto. “To Ohio” boasts a Sufjan Stevens-esque acoustic style, and the group’s cover of Kerouac and Waits’ “Home I’ll Never Be” finds Miller channeling the latter’s raw, gritty vocals in homage. No doubt this poignant album will leave listeners slightly evolved and hungry for more. —BW

lowanthem.com

Simon Lynge
A Beautiful Way to Drown

From the first high-tidal harmonic swells of “London Town,” Simon Lynge’s aptly titled record pulls you into lush, comforting waves of sound. Brian Wilson would adore Beautiful Way, especially the jubilant title track, a sonic swirling celebration of love. Mixing palpable urgency (“If You Go”) with pretty indictments (“Television Talk”) and an abiding sort of joyful melancholy, Lynge creates the kind of wondrous music that makes you feel like a wide-eyed kid, led by bravely honest yet reassuringly optimistic lyrics. Singing “I am a song on a six-string / When life goes wrong / I am laughing,” his emotionally immediate voice and finger-picked guitar could easily thaw even the coldest of hearts. —GMG

simonlyngemusic.com

Hannah Miller
Into the Black

Like Brandi Carlile and Rachael Yamagata, Southern songstress Hannah Miller is blessed with a modern old-timey sound. Instantly captivating whether gently summoning strength (“Angel”), reassurance (“Keep It Simple”) or forgiveness for her lover’s return (“In the Yard”), Miller makes every note count. An irresistible melodic riff fuels sunniest romp “In So Deep,” whose inevitable folly is ignited by her best line: “How much harm can one kiss really do?” Miller’s trembling delivery and quirkily crafted acoustic vignettes shimmer under Mitch Dane’s spare, lucent production. Suffused with a meditative, near elegaic quality, Into the Black blends an inviting spookiness with delicate potency as Miller dives deep enough to deliver a gorgeous set of vibrant scenes. —GMG

hannahmillermusic.com

Melissa Moshé
Small Worlds for Left Hands

Those of us who are left-handed may feel a resonance with Melissa Moshé’s Small World for Left Hands. The constant need to improvise in a world designed for right-handers gives us a special appreciation for Moshé’s offbeat lyrics and unusual arrangements. But even the right-handed majority will be impressed by the debut from this L.A. artist.

The album features fresh arrangements with plenty of cello, often set in an eerily high register. Standard topics of love and regret are interspersed with spunky tunes like “Ugly,” “Not That Day” and “Suburbia”—a tongue-in-cheek tribute to TiVo, strip malls and “standardized coffee.”

You don’t have to be left-handed to enjoy Moshé’s Small World—just be ready for a new way of looking at the world. —MW

myspace.com/tabletwelvemusic

Paper or Plastic
Don't Be Like That

Classic-rock instrumentation, upbeat tempos, catchy hooks and satirical lyricism comprise the bulk of this New York power-pop band’s sophomore album, and frontman David Pollock sells the package with dramatic, in-your-face vocals reminiscent of Mike Patton.

“Move It Away” starts off with tenor and alto saxes spouting an infectious rhythmic theme that carries into “For Christ’s Sake,” where the music highlights the cutting lyrics, “Twenty-three motives to commit this crime / I told her she could be my most esteemed ex-wife.” Whimsy then re-enters the picture in “Six Diplomats” as Pollock barks, “Blankets are fears and regrets / Cathedrals and converted minarets.” Fun, sarcastic and insightful, Don’t Be Like That makes a convincing argument. —BW

paper-or-plastic.com

Rain Perry
Cinderblock Bookshelves

Artists who mine a cross-pollination of rock, country and folk aren’t uncommon these days, but few do it as deftly as Rain Perry. No surprise, then, that Tom Russell and Nanci Griffith covered her “Yosemite” in 2003, and that the song went on to garner the grand prize from the John Lennon Songwriting Competition.

With its other tangled tales of coming of age (the tender “Thank You” and “Girl in the Boy’s Room,” which shows the influence of both Led Zeppelin and Neil Young), Perry’s third album is heartfelt and humbling. So, too, sensitive arrangements and support from Sara Hickman and Eliza Gilkyson underscore its quiet convictions and make this set nearly irresistible. —LZ

rainperry.com

The Rescues
Crazy Ever After

It’s hard to qualify the new music from the Rescues, a pop trio comprised of L.A. singer-songwriters Kyler England, Gabriel Mann and Adrianne. The combo has recently been compared to Fleetwood Mac, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the Eagles—all obvious parallels, given the seamless three-part harmony and songwriting aptitude of the group. Separately, the talents of each member surface in various tracks from the polished, radio-ready Crazy Ever After. “California Rain” showcases Mann’s nuanced pipes. “Break Me Out,” fronted by Adrianne’s ruffian, impassioned vocals, pulses with a modern, electronic heartbeat. England’s supple tone moves between rich and round to plaintive and breathy on “Matter of Time.” “Lost Along the Way,” with its explosive, instantly memorable melody, weaves all three voices into the center and, like the rest of the CD, makes for a successful Rescue mission. —LCB

therescues.com

Greg Tannen
Rocket

A gifted songwriter, Tannen provides an easygoing and heartfelt collection of rock-solid pop songs. Guitar and piano—tinged with gospel and blues—and pleasing harmonies all serve to showcase his bright, clear vocals and simple, perceptive lyrics.

The real delight is Tannen’s restrained vocal approach on songs like “On a Holiday” and “Beautiful Day,” in which his relaxed, velvet-wrapped tone croons, “Lost the clouds, lost the rain, it’s a beautiful day,” is nothing short of captivating. There’s plenty of fuel and lots of room to get on board this Rocket. —BW

gregtannen.com