Do It To Julia This Asheville-by-way-of-Boone quartet retired to Martha’s Vineyard last winter to record their Kickstarter-funded sophomore record, an appropriate setting and time for the band’s brand of sepia-colored folk pop. Co-songwriters Ryan O’Keefe and Halli Anderson build song-lattices for Anderson’s multi-tracked violin to flit through, and male-female harmonies provide melodic buoyancy. There’s an aimless drift to the songs, though, suggesting they could do with some tightening (and a hook or two), and the narratives tilt self-absorbed, undercutting any Appalachia authenticity in the music with a disheartening granola vibe. With Little Tybee and Jeremy Aggers. $6/$7. Milestone. www.themilestoneclub.com.
This article appears in Jul 12-18, 2011.
