The cold is here. Just last week, highs were in the 80s making October almost muggy. But in with the weekend came sharp winds and lower temperatures, and suddenly everyone is carrying a jacket.
As the seasons change, so does the music - at least a little. Few but the diehards can stomach the Beach Boys when it isn't bright outside. And who wants to hear Iron and Wine when there is a beach and bottle of Corona to consume?
Thus, attention turns to the perfect autumn soundtrack, and two 2008 offerings provide the delicate noise.
1) Jeremy Messersmith - "The Silver City" - Musically somewhere between Josh Rouse, Ben Gibbard, and Damien Rice, the Twin-City native has crafted a pop album with the kind of cohesion and consistency that almost begs to be listened to completely - not in isolated tracks. The disc bobs with a bittersweet narrative concerning certain suburban life in an uncertain time. At moments - like "Welcome to Suburbia" - Messersmith fills the tracks with dramatic swells that lend an air of theatrics. Think Ben Folds' ballads on the "Over the Hedge" soundtrack. At other times - like "Miracles" - he experiements with electronics, grounding his sound in a less fanciful - though still highly enjoyable - environment.
MP3: Jeremy Messersmith - Miracles
2) Blind Pilot - "3 Rounds and a Sound" - All music has a history - some just more interesting than others. Blind Pilot, for instance, launched their first recordings by doing a bike tour from Vancouver to San Francisco.It would follow that anything that can be toured by two men and two bikes would be minimal - and "3 Rounds and a Sound" is. But in the best of ways. Singer/guitarist Israel Nebeker's strong vocal carries simple guitar and percussion, allowing plenty of room for thoughtful lyrics and clever wordplay. Musically, the group sits between the overzelousness of The Format and the achingly subdued Iron and Wine.
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