Scud Mountain Boys

Every singer should be jealous of Joe Pernice's voice. Whether he's singing over the medicated Americana soundscapes of the Scud Mountain Boys or on the more Bacharach-influenced Pernice Brothers songs, his whisper-tone inflections bring to mind the bittersweet textured vocals of The Zombies' Colin Blunstone. These are some of the best recordings ever made in the genre of alt country -- so good the genre specification almost seems inappropriate. Although the band prefer to DIY record in someone's kitchen, the warm production here almost seems like it was doctored in a laboratory. Scud Mountain Boys' songs are down-tempo, downcast laments of heartbreak and lovelorn loss. Make no mistake, this music is not so much No Depression as it is Know Depression. For those who appreciate artists who bleed into their songs, here's a wonderful little hemorrhage of pastoral music for you.