Richmond Fontaine

Although it's easy to draw comparisons between Richmond Fontaine and Uncle Tupelo (it helps that the vocalist sounds a bit like Jay Farrar), that doesn't take away from the power and honesty this band exudes. With pedal steel guitar, organ, guitar, bass, drums and vocals, they achieve a big, open sound that serves to heighten their emotional intensity, giving the music an wide, dynamic range. Musicianship is outstanding across the board, with the rhythm section wonderfully guiding the songs' dramatic changes as the other instruments subtly weave around Willy Vlautin's world-weary vocals. Lyrics are lovely in their simplicity and descriptive qualities, such as "Maybe you're living in a roadhouse / Surrounded in a line next to a hundred others / And streets that run in parallel lines." Although there's tangible disillusion in these words, the music is nothing short of uplifting.