Dropped from the heavens in a gesture of apparent effortlessness yet obviously sweaty effort, Weary Hearts wakes tired sleepers so sick of another generation of great musicians going down the dark alley that their ancestors warned them about. Dropped onto disc at a studio near Nashville in a folksy, timeless, and timely context that owns what it owes to Everybodyfields, Avett Brothers, The Civil Wars, or Mumford and Sons, this foxy serenade seeps into your sleep until you can’t help but humming along.

Of course, rock n roll was never innocent and always chases its innocence. Every once in a while, as if the hated headlines never existed, a band emerges from the earth and the ether to restore our faith. Perhaps pop music isn’t all ego and regret after all, perhaps we can forget for the length of an album the steady parade of diva moments and overdoses, of checking into rehab and refusing rehab for the grave.

Every once in a while, the choir kicks up Tennessee dust and shows up early and eager, a humble crew of gorgeous and unpretentious twenty-somethings with a backpack full of songs burning genuine joy into your guts via your ears. With roots in the great ‘family band’-that-learned-how-to-play-at-church tradition, Sleepy Eyed Fox travel lightly on the road to success, with musicality a fuel stronger than any hype could ever be.

Sleepy Eyed Fox sing songs of singularly prescient Appalachian pop, of pleasing your partner and praising your creator, of washing on the shore of life’s rocky moments to discover love and hope lingering longer than shame or blame.

We don’t need to trust the epic purity that sings like a mountain spring, just trust the source that’s upstream from all this melodic meaning.  Sleepy Eyed Fox sits on the cusp of becoming something unstoppably great. Discover them. –Andrew William Smith, Editor

For more information on Sleepy Eyed Fox or their album Weary Hearts, please visit sleepyeyedfox.com

But I have changed. I have discovered the world of music outside the realm of heavy metal, and have spent the last year frantically trying to catch up. Just as my musical tastes have broadened since 2008, Justin Vernon has also made a transition since recording his first album, from the raw cabin-sounds of For Emma, Forever Ago into the produced and almost-experimental style of Bon Iver’s new self-titled release.

This album contains many elements particularly pleasant to my ears. “Perth” starts the album with a soft guitar riff that builds up with a sharp snare drum beat and horns, two recurring themes of the album. Several tracks could easily lull me into sweet dreams, particularly the lyrical “Holocene.” In contrast, “Calgary” is driven and instrumentally textured. The album has enough complexity to separate it from strictly ambient music, but it’s still simple and melodic enough to be very calming and easy to listen to.

Justin Vernon’s characteristic falsetto is prominently featured in this album, adding even more texture to an album rich with layers. The vocal styling gets a little weird during “Hinnom, TX” with excessive reverb on both an extra-falsetto and a baritone voice singing together. That aside, Vernon’s unique voice stands out as the defining characteristic of the Bon Iver sound.

When I first picked up this album, I was afraid that I would find a bluegrass influence beyond the limits of my taste. But every time Bon Iver introduces a tad of banjo or some slide guitar, it pulls in more instruments or some other effect to redirect the focus of the sound. In most cases these additional layers are enough make the song palatable. The exception is held off to the end of the album. “Beth/Rest” is a dramatic break in style, lacking an element of dreamy curiosity found throughout the other tracks. Instead, it packs in an ambitious amount of 80s synth, jazzy saxophone, overly Auto-tuned vocals, and, God help us, slide guitar, in a way that just doesn’t sit well.

It was only after thoroughly enjoying Bon Iver that I found time to appreciate For Emma, Forever Ago. I immediately came to understand the hype and subsequent disappointment in Bon Iver from many fans of his incredible debut album. Remaining from the last album is Bon Iver’s ability to create soft and peaceful textures. The difference is that it stretches out into experimental places with orchestration and synth-sounds.

It’s the sort of album I have come to expect this year from an artist with a history of acoustic hits. Recently, Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine have both produced albums that incorporate styles beyond the scope of their usual form. What sets these artists apart is the gradual maturation from their folk roots to their latest releases.  With only one other album, Bon Iver lack the experience needed to execute a progressive album as masterfully as his contemporaries.

My musical interests have changed over the past three years, and Bon Iver has changed some, too. Although a few tracks on this album left me in want for something different or more like his first, as a whole and independent entity Bon Iver is well worth a listen.           –Amy Rauch, Contributing Writer

In 2007, on his first go at recording independently of Pearl Jam, Vedder made the critically praised soundtrack Into the Wild. Still rooted in guitar-driven rock, Into the Wild had a sound that was somewhat folksy and far more airy and free than would ever be achieved on a Pearl Jam album. Here you will find songs that required nothing more than a guitar (or a mandolin) to accompany his dynamic voice. This may have been the first sign that an entire album like Ukulele Songs would be possible.

If Into the Wild was musically sparse, then Ukulele Songs is entirely bare-bones. Vedder abandons all additional accompaniments beyond the ukulele, save for some strings in one track and a bit of vocal assistance.

In Pearl Jam, the combination of Vedder’s powerful voice and the intensity of the talented rock group is simply overwhelming (in the good way). So when the drums and electric guitars are all stripped away, we are left with a chance to focus in on the texture of Vedder’s unique vocal stylings. The simplicity of the ukulele allows Vedder to play with his voice in a way that only he can, flowing between a gentle, whispering croon to a shout that can shake your soul.

What is so impressive is how Vedder takes a novelty-toy of an instrument and creates sincere, listenable music with it. However, there is still a whimsical element to it. You will not hear Vedder’s political viewpoints on this album. You will hear love songs and covers of old popular songs like you might hear performed by Ella Fitzgerald. (If at this point you still think this is totally ridiculous, at least give him a bit of credit for skipping over all of those painfully obligatory ukulele performances like “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”)

The album begins with “Can’t Keep,” a perfect first track that’s as hard rocking as you can get on a ukulele. It keeps building and Vedder’s voice keeps soaring until you think he might just start to fly up into the atmosphere.

Just by looking at the song titles, you can guess that the first half of the album is about heartbreak: “Sleeping by Myself,” “Goodbye,” and well, “Broken Heart.” These songs are yearning and passionate, but not altogether depressing. Vedder rips your heart out but eases the pain with the sweet ukulele. It brings you straight into the writing process. How relieving it must be to have such a happy little instrument to write songs on when you are feeling sad!

To be honest, the ukulele does have its limitations. After a point, I found myself wishing it would stop sounding so… twingy. Fortunately, like an oasis, “Longing to Belong” is tucked into the middle of the album at track 8, providing relief from the lone twingy uke. This beautiful song includes a lovely cello accompaniment. The additional instrumentation makes this song more accessible than some of the other songs on the album, making it the obvious choice as the single, released in March.

Another highlight of the album is “Sleepless Nights.” I am a sucker for vocal harmonies, and when that harmony happens to be Glen Hansard of The Swell Season and The Frames, I am sold. “Tonight You Belong to Me” also includes additional vocals from Cat Power.

This is the perfect summertime album. “Light Today” even has the sound of gentle ocean waves on what I imagine to be the most peaceful beach in the entire world. Although “Ukulele Songs” might sound like it would be an album full of images of piña coladas and Hawaiian luaus, the 50^th state is hardly brought to mind by this music. Ukulele Songs could just as sweetly treat you to nostalgic visions of yesteryear lounging in the backyard with an iced tea and someone you loved.

After over twenty years of rocking out (Pearl Jam’s Ten came out in 1991. Feel old?), Eddie Vedder has not only kept the spirit and passion in his music that we have come to expect, he has continued to press himself creatively and grow as an artist. In Ukulele Songs, he has reached beyond grunge and alternative rock into a realm in which he can really show off his musical and vocal talents. –Amy Rauch, Contributing Writer

With the many philosophical readings of the album’s title (and title track) Circuital shaking the trees of Appalachia, there’s no doubt that this record rides a wide river of meaning. Thus, the return to form returns to being born – not so much a return to their roots, but a return to our roots, to the roots of humanity, to the circuit of life where a tribe of earthlings does their “Victory Dance” of simply waking up to the “First Light” of a spiritual reality.

With his monkish humility, muppet mop, and wizard’s beard, Jim James has always rocked his frontman mystique like a renegade mystic, peddling rock n roll parables and koans of a Zen Jedi sensibility with sudden doses of Jesus and the devil thrown in to keep us guessing. Churning out albums and tours “on the circuit” like a fiery preacher or rodeo star matches work ethic with a wandering wisdom and yearning for greater truth, beauty, and freedom.

Culminating the band’s career to this point, Circuital could be listened to as a coherent religious statement, a new testament of a band’s enduring magic and magnificence on the edge of midlife maturity. In our world’s menu-driven kaleidoscope of easy downloads and fleeting fads, My Morning Jacket craft an old school and epic modernity, full-length albums worth dusting off the headphones and turning off the lights for, for focused and mellow front-to-back sonic contemplation.

My Morning Jacket are a band that give me hope that “The Day Is Coming” when all our splicing and dicing of contemporary music subgenres will collapse back into the more generous and inclusive categories of rock and pop, where music’s communal impulses will return us to our primary purposes of improving our world. Listening to “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” – a song that’s been in the Jacket & James’s live sets for some time now – I cannot help but want it to become the campfire classic of the 21^st century, a sort of New Age mantra-mashup where “Kumbaya” meets “The Big Rock Candy Mountain.” It’s a glorious track of holy hummin’ and strummin’ that’s always existed in the heart and that I can’t imagine ever growing tired of.

I don’t know about you, but this Jacket fan had more than a few demons I had to get “Outta My System” over my years of indulging in the seedier sides of the music scene. Today, this charming track could be listened to with humility or nostalgia by some fans and as a warning to others, cautioning both against prodigal excess and excesses of piety. The sudden switch to the slick, sick, and slinky jam of “Holdin’ Onto Black Metal” keeps reminding us about the dark side even as it ages into a humorous and health distance from it. This record dances in the deeper grooves, all about a band growing up before our ears and eyes, gifting us with lessons about growing up.

With abiding respect for rock’s many rivers progressing toward an ocean of awesome, My Morning Jacket tap twinkly and tweaky sources of playful genius and balance these with reverence for songcraft, cultural evolution, and spiritual awakening. Their popular progress has been steady and slow and while not as gargantuan as peers like Fleet Foxes or Kings of Leon or any of the Jack White projects, they remain my favorite of the 21st century bands for their courageous sincerity and complex simplicity. This is a circuit I’ve been on since 2006, and one I’d like to stay on with the band for as long as they’re working it and bringing us back to the place where we all began and begin again.

–Andrew William Smith, Editor (Circuital was released on Tuesday, May 31. Visit mymorningjacket.com)

Check their Myspace Music page, though, and you’ll see the band humorously lists its musical genre as “Grind/Grindcore/Grunge”.  They also list their place of origin as “Arkansas”, even though they are based out of Seattle.  It’s the same kind of jokey B.S. Creedence Clearwater Revival pulled 40 years ago; they were a band from the Bay Area, but with their swamp-rock sound, they made everyone believe they were born on the bayou.

Through two EPs and a near-brilliant first album, Fleet Foxes have seemed able to get away with being modern-day smart alecks who make music seemingly of another era. You could call it swindle or deception, but ultimately, there’s no real point in doing so; the band’s identity and motivations don’t matter, because their music speaks so well for itself.

The only question, then, has been whether Robin Pecknold and his bandmates had any legs beyond that first batch of songs.  I’m happy to report that their sophomore effort - Helplessness Blues – proves not only does the band have legs, it may very well be the best young act on the scene right now.  Bob Dylan recently “anointed” Mumford and Sons by performing with them at the Grammys, but really, he should’ve been anointing these guys.  Not only did Fleet Foxes provide key momentum to the folk-rock/pop revival that spawned the success of Mumford, but Helplessness Blues is exactly the kind of slightly funny, slightly pretentious name Dylan would’ve given one of his own classic records from the mid-60′s.

Then again, maybe Dylan is just intimidated by how great and virtuosic these guys sound, both in terms of their singing and musicianship; Helplessness Blues is, simply put, one of the most gorgeous records to be released in many a year.

Though the band doesn’t really take any chances with the sound they created on their debut, never once do they feel limited or constrained by it.  The tracks here are moodier and more ambitious, while still retaining every ounce of pop sheen and pop appeal that characterized the tunes on the first record.  The production is dense, but never feels oppressive or overstuffed.  The songs breathe joyously, expanding and contracting in ways that feel entirely organic rather than self-conscious; they invite you to soak in their details.  When spiraling electric guitars bubble to the surface during the title track, it does not feel alien or arbitrary, it merely heightens the emotional impact of Pecknold’s vocals. When the band finds a great groove, it savors it and runs with it, like the beautiful jam that climaxes “Sim Sala Bim”. Occasionally – such as on the achingly gorgeous “Cascades” – they just let the groove take over entirely.  And oh, those vocals… these guys’ voices sound so fantastic, they are probably taking about a decade off of whatever time Brian Wilson has left on the planet.

Of course, it always helps if those amazing voices are singing about something interesting.  While Fleet Foxes have never been as compelling lyrically as they are musically, it is important to note that on their latest, the band have really stepped up their game in terms of lyrical content; these songs manage some striking imagery and prescient quandaries.

As the album title indicates, Helplessness Blues moves away from the outright pastoral flavor of the debut, and focuses on more introspective, existential concerns. There is still the occasional bit of anachronistic wordplay – such as on opening track “Montezuma”, when Pecknold follows the line “Oh man, what I used to be” with bouts of “oh me, oh my”, etc.. – but for the most part, the context of the lyrics appears to be that of modern day.  The songs change tone often, as Pecknold’s lyrics wrestle with their dilemmas from multiple angles and perspectives.  On the title track, the singer is torn between his upbringing – which taught him he was, as Tyler Durden might say, “a beautiful unique snowflake”- and his desire to serve something bigger than himself.  On “The Plains/Bitter Dancer”, the band weaves a somber, almost mythological portrait of a tormented soul, and as the song describes its protagonist in increasingly despairing detail, it becomes apparent that the narrator is talking about himself.   “At arms length, I will hold you there”, Pecknold sings in defiance of his dark doppleganger, while a pulsing acoustic guitar builds to an incredible swirl of vocals that seem to stretch to eternity.

Few bands manage to make their musical and lyrical impulses dovetail with such luminosity as Fleet Foxes manage on Helplessness Blues.  It’s the kind of listen that just makes you sit there with a stupid grin on your face, shaking your head in disbelief at how good it is.

Really, if there’s one demerit that could conceivably be handed to the record, it’s that sonically, it doesn’t really do anything their debut didn’t do. (The jarring squalls of avant-sax on “The Shrine/An Argument” are the major exception.)  However, for a band like Fleet Foxes,  which has displayed a very strong, refined musical identity from the beginning, that’s not really a bad thing.  I see a lot of parallels between them and The Walkmen, another band that has rarely strayed from its core sound, but has still managed to quietly churn out great record after great record for nearly a decade.  With the overwhelming success that is Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes seem primed to do just the same…. and to sweep up a considerable audience of devotees while they’re at it.

–Luke Pimentel, Editor

“Helplessness Blues” is released today in the U.S. on Sub Pop Records, and in the U.K. on Bella Union Records.  It is also streaming in full at www.npr.org.

For more information on Fleet Foxes, please visit www.fleetfoxes.com or www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes.

With certain nonchalance, Mosshart’s sultry vocals on Blood Pressures are a great contrasting element to Hince’s lazy guitar thrashing and calculated drum beats in the background. A little blues-y, a little edgy, the songs on this album are danceable without sacrificing the steady, sexy vibe the listener gets from all 11 tracks on Blood Pressures. A favorite being track 7, “Baby Says.” I also really dung “DNA.”

Though I enjoy this new album from The Kills, I found it slightly less amazing than Midnight Boom. It seems like something was missing in Blood Pressures that was present when they made Midnight Boom, but I still think this album deserves a listen and possibly a spot in your music collection. There is a moody aspect to a lot of the songs which I find interesting. It is a pretty versatile album and I could see myself dancing to this at a party or just chilling out at home with it playing.

Blood Pressures was released on April 5, 2011 on Domino.  For tour information visit thekills.tv.

Sarah Townsend

They make it seem effortless but there is not a song on here I would skip while listening to it on the road or just chilling out. Every song in this album is extremely catchy but you won’t be too upset when these cool Swedes get stuck in your head.

Of course, if you have only heard two of their previous tracks (like many people who claim to be fans) you may be disappointed that this isn’t anything similar to Amsterdam or their most recognizable song Young Folks. While those are good songs, not all of their music has to be that poppy, whistling style to be worth listening to.

In this album I hear some subtle 80s influences especially track 6 May Seem Macabre and track 7 (Don’t Let Them) Cool Off. But unlike a lot of bands channeling the 80s right now PB&J did it right.  I like the too-cool style of this album, the vocals are all very calm and listeners will be entranced if they let go of their expectations.

Sarah Townsend

Gimme Some was released on March 29, 2011 on Rockadrome. For tour information or to purchase Gimme Some, visit peterbjornandjohn.com

Angles embodies the style of late 80s, sounding like some bad pop-rock with the same style of vocals that made them famous. Track three “Two kinds of happiness” doesn’t sound like anything new. It sounds like a song from the 1980s I haven’t heard before which is more than a little disappointing for someone who has enjoyed the Strokes in the past. Track 4’s guitar solos are just too much on top of the drum beats which don’t vary much from song to song.

There will be parts of the songs in this album that I can really enjoy and just when I get into it something the song will take a turn for the 80s jam band-eque sound. Also, I can’t help but noticing that it is easy to confuse the songs with each other. A lot of them sound the same.

One thing I think the Strokes did right would be the vocals because they’re all that is left of their style that was different from other artists. I’m glad they kept with the same style of vocals and lyrics for the most part because it is the one thing that redeems Angles. I don’t mind the shades of 1980s mixed in the tracks that much but I still feel like something is missing in this album that First Impressions of Earth had. This isn’t something I would listen again for fun. A lot of this sadly sounds like a remix of some old 80s synth pop and guitar solos.

Of course this album incorporates some new elements in their music. The title, Angles, was a good choice because it has these elements. Personally, some of the elements I am not a fan of. The Stokes produced some good stuff in the past and though this album isn’t bad, I don’t prefer it to any of their previous work. With that said, I am sure the band was aiming to make music which would be more easily digested by the mainstream top-40 listener and if that was their objective they accomplished that goal but for me they missed the mark.

Sarah Townsend

Angles was released on March 18, 2011 on RCA/Rough Trade. Visit thestrokes.com for tour information.

The duo’s music sounds a lot like they look. Non-threatening but interesting and entertaining. The contrast of the vocals and the guitar’s whining is really unexpected but it works really nicely for my taste. I could see listening to this on a long drive or just chilling out to it after a stressful day.

There is a continuous fluid thread that runs through the fabric of all of the tracks on this album even though some are melancholic and others are a bit more upbeat. The music seems to always come back to the constant similar-sounding guitar riffs and gentle lyrics. I don’t mean that the songs are too similar however the tracks aren’t that different from one another.  They all vary just enough. I hear it as if each song is a different room in a music-box house found in the artists’ dreams.

This work will snatch your attention for a while but it isn’t too in-your-face. I would be content to listen to this for a while and mix it in with my regular “chill time” playlists. Because of the imagery this album invokes in my mind, I say it earns 4 out of 5 stars.

Civilian was released on March 8, 2011 on Merge Records. For tour information or to purchase a copy of Civilian visit www.wyeoakmusic.com.

Sarah Townsend

Vaguely reminiscent of English folk, something about this album is a lot catchier than her earlier songs; I think it is only an improvement to her style. Her lyrics are generally pretty heavy and the slightly more poppy sound this time around makes it more accessible to a larger audience. In fact, the first time I listened to it, I didn’t really take in the lyrics and it just sounded like mellow music but the more you hear it the more the words get stuck in your head. Her first track, also titled “Let England shake” is a perfect example of the melancholic, still off-the-beaten-path style she has now gotten down to a science.

According to a review from National Public Radio, Harvey waded through piles of war footage for inspiration however I am unsure how she could do that and still come off sounding so cool and collected in her work. One would expect something a little more in-your-face from any other artist but this album whispers truths in a creepy, unexpected way that catches the listener off guard.  It is an interesting way to convey her message, and she did just that in the 40 minutes of this album. The mysticism that I have always found in Harvey’s unpredictable music is still there, however it is a slightly different flavor from her older tunes.

Let England Shake disturbs you just enough and keeps you coming back for more. It is definitely worth a listen or 10. I would even suggest checking out Harvey’s tour dates for this year to witness this magical music live. Too bad it seems every show is already sold out.

Let England Shake was released on February 14, 2011 on Island Records. For tour info visit pjharvey.net

Sarah Townsend