The Rural Alberta Advantage

At first blush, Toronto's the Rural Alberta Advantage is your typical Canadian indie pop act: tight hooks and sharp melodies kicked around by lively percussion. After repeated spins, however, the trio's debut album, Hometowns, reveals an earthy, acoustic vibe not unlike Deer Tick or even Langhorne Slim. Nils Edenloff often sounds more like a raspy troubadour than an urban indie rocker. This makes sense considering the singer and guitarist was born and raised out on the Western plains.