Emotionally-charged, genre-blending mellow indie rock

With shades of their Southern roots and a specific brand of melancholy, Mississippi-based band Water Liars‰’ new self-titled album has huge ambition, and rightfully so. The album is full of contrasts, going quickly from slow grassroots melodies with rolling basslines (“Swannanoa‰Û) to upbeat riffs with a punk edge and clamorous percussion (“Ray Charles Dream‰Û). Vocals sound weary one minute and up-in-arms the next. Surprisingly enough though, these seemingly divergent dynamics actually combine to make a hauntingly poetic album: simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking. This album is like the changing seasons, and the range of emotions and atmospheres that the band set out to evoke is achieved through the passion poured into both the music and the lyrics of each song.

RIYL: Iron & Wine, Chuck Ragan, My Morning Jacket
Recommended:3, 4, 7, 11