Milk Carton Kids in harmony

Milk Carton Kids
“The Ash and Clay”
(ANTI)

The singer-guitarists Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan form the duo Milk Carton Kids - a name that conjures up a brash and rowdy hardcore band.

Instead, these two dulcet-voiced Californians hail from quite a different quadrant of the musical galaxy. On their third album, ``The Ash & Clay,‘’ they play a music that is reminiscent of The Everly Brothers‘ close vocal harmonies, supported by some fine guitar picking that recalls some of Appalachia’s finest instrumentalists.

Their sound is old-timey, but the songwriting can be quite modern. The title track laments the present state of America and what‘s been lost _ not in a bitter or brooding way, but with the same yearning nostalgia that flows through every one of their songs.

The song begins with the doleful lines, ``Swing sets are empty like dirt turned the dark of the night/The center of this town used to whirl in the glow of the twilight.’‘

Yet there is certainly a palpable hope through these songs. The album’s finest track, ``The Promised Land,‘’ perfectly combines the two sentiments: mourning what‘s been lost, while aspiring for a brighter future.

(AP)


Paisley has a winner with ’Wheelhouse‘

Brad Paisley
“Wheelhouse”
(Arista Nashville)

The title of Brad Paisley’s new album, ``Wheelhouse,‘’ could imply the country music star is sticking with what he does best. Indeed, the 17-song album -- the first in which he‘s listed as sole producer -- presents several songs extending his reputation for clever, sometimes comic, twists on love (“Death of a Married Man’‘), modern life (”Beat This Summer’‘) and sentimental romanticism (“I Can’t Change the World‘’).

But Paisley also has a history of taking chances, and that‘s never been truer than on his new album. The song ``Accidental Racist’‘ opens with a guy being confronted by a Starbucks clerk for wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt that features a Confederate flag. The lyrics go on to explore the tension between ``Southern pride and Southern blame,’‘ complete with a rap break by LL Cool J.

``Southern Comfort Zone’‘ similarly confronts the regionalism that leads some Southerners -- and many current country singers -- to boast about life in the rural South. Paisley loves where he’s from, he sings, but acknowledges that seeing the world has opened his mind to the perspective of others in a positive way.

Yes, Paisley knows what he does well. But ``Wheelhouse‘’ proves he‘s not content with playing it safe.

(AP)


The Band Perry delivers fresh album

The Band Perry
“Pioneer”
(Republic Nashville)

Like film director Tim Burton, the Band Perry puts an entertaining spin on the darker aspects of life and love. With their second album ``Pioneer,’‘ singer Kimberly Perry and her brothers Neil and Reid continue to blend sinister and innocent in deliciously fresh ways.

The trio’s new work highlights just how well-developed they‘ve become as songwriters -- they’re responsible for nine of the 12 songs -- and how inventive they can be with arrangements. They bring out the best in veteran producer Dann Huff, who does his best work here since helping Keith Urban create his distinctive sound.

Like Urban, The Band Perry use banjos and other string instruments to create a down-to-earth foundation on songs like the No. 1 country hit ``Better Dig Two.‘’ They also like juxtaposing acoustic and electric elements, which adds texture to catchy tunes like the anthemic ``I‘m a Keeper’‘ and the Cheap Trick-like ``Night Gone Wasted’‘ -- both co-written with another family group, The Henningsens.

Throughout, Kimberly Perry wields her smoky voice like a skilled actress, inhabiting each song to bring the lyrics alive. ``Pioneer’‘ is an artistic tour de force that furthers the potential shown on group’s award-winning 2010 debut.

(AP)