The Court & Spark

We'll be honest: We don't love Court & Spark frontman M.C. Taylor's twangy, low-register, sometimes Jerry Garcia-ish singing. In fact, if the group's latest, Witch Season, had been released on a label besides the local Absolutely Kosher, known for putting out cutting-edge, typically indie rock records by bands like the Wrens, Pinback, and Frog Eyes, we would have dismissed it as altcountry humdrum. But C&S's choice of label (or vice versa) compelled us to give the record a thorough listen, which we're happy about, because what we do love is the way the instruments interact. At any given point on Witch Season, happy guitars and trembling organs lollygag as if there's little to care about but porch swings and sweet lemonade. The sound is as pleasantly far from city-life hustle bustle as we've heard in a while.