The Dying Californian

The Dying Californian's new record Coarsegold points to the early (read: good) years of R.E.M., but the local quintet sticks more in the Americana camp than those Southern boys. You can hear the Californian's customary Neil Young and classic rock influences, but the group widens its scope here, showing off a facility with pop, country, folk, and punk. The band also bests another R.E.M. staple: lead vocals that are simultaneously strange, scratchy, earnest, and damn pretty. The Dying Californian offers up the storied pipes of singer Nate Dalton, alongside harmonies from his brother Andrew and Aaron Schurk's backups. Other guest singers buoy the vocal layering, and the sturdy songwriting on Coarsegold peaks on tracks like "The Martyrdom of Perpetua" and "Blurred Just the Same" (one of which will make you cry, tough guy). Bassist Simon Fabela, guitar player Liam Nelson, and drummer Ricardo Reano aren't aiming to be Mills, Buck, and Berry, but this sophomore release shows they're nearly as good. — Hiya Swanhuyser