If It's Too Loud...

My favorite album this year as well as my #1 album is The Lonesome Trio's self-titled debut. It was easy for me to initially write this off. A project from Ed Helms ( The Office , The Hangover ), my first thought was Andy Dwyer playing the banjo. And Helms's voice is unmistakable, don't get me wrong, but the album, from the first minute, shows that this is a serious project with a lot going for it. What I love most about it, though, is how much of a throwback bluegrass album this is. It's a mix of storytelling and humor, of lightness and of some heavy themes. "Appalachia Apologia" feels new and fresh while keeping with tradition, and "Whiskey Drink" is a song that might be my favorite of the year. I still continue being shocked at just how good this is, and upon learning how long these three have been playing together, the only negative is that this is the only album we have to enjoy so far. Truly the best experience of the year musically ...

Christopher Paul Stelling - Labor Against Waste : One of this year's Newport Folk acts, Labor Against Waste definitely feels like a standard folk album, and sometimes delves into Mumford-style driving musical moments. It's a pretty good album, fairly able to be overlooked given the quality of music out this week, but still a pretty decent listen on a whole. The Lonesome Trio - The Lonesome Trio : Album of the week, and true contender for album of the year, is the debut album by The Lonesome Trio. I looked this up for one reason, and that's because Ed Helms of The Office is one of the members of the band. It turns out that it's one of the better roots records of recent memory, and would be absolutely worthy even if one of the members wasn't famous. Just really great from start to finish, and highly recommended. Lenka - The Bright Side : Lenka's fourth album sounds a lot like Lenka. It's poppy yet sparse, feels happy but nothing is terribly sticky. ...