Albums of ACL: Phosphorescent - Here's to taking it Easy

There are not a lot of country/folk influenced artists these days that can straddle the line between roots rock and outside influences the way that the Grateful Dead in their time. Whether you love or hate the Dead they created a sound that took the groundedness of true, traditional, country, folk, and blues and artfully combined it just a pinch of the psych zeitgeist around them to create something truly American.

Swimming in a sea of indie bands that take pride in not being grounded in anything other than self-indulgent experimentation and their own tumid egos, Phospherescent quietly do their own thing but not in any sort of anachronistic way. While a general listen of "Here's to taking it easy" will conjure more images than country and folk than anything else there's a certain dynamism to it that ensures the band has potential to win a wide audience.

"Nothing was Stolen" is a wide expanse of beautiful country rock and is probably the best showing of the band's roots-oriented craft with its piano and country chorus vocals imploring some far off sweetheart to "love me foolishly".

"Los Angeles" sees Matthew Houck creating a delicate tapestry of psychedelia as members sing in unison over mournful, molasses-thick slide tones like the crying of whales. Lyrics suggest the tension between his country upbringing and the challenges of his professional life.

"Hej, me I'm light", easily the most recognizable song, breaks with the very American country sound. Houck repeats the title lyrics throughout the entire song with an almost raga-like melody. It builds from the starkness of vocals plus acoustic guitar to a booming symphony of colorful eastern percussion and flutes. Absolute breakout songs like this show that Houck can do anything he wants and still remain tied strongly to roots rock. Neither Brooklyn nor LA have taken the Alabama out of him.

Still, the music suggests that he still has a lot ahead of him and is continuing to search for that hard to grasp synthesis between his country influences and contemporary music.

Grade: B+