Jalopy

"Jalopy write songs with a refreshing earnesty about them, coupling generous sincerity and song-writing skill with what feels like a genuine joy to be playing music. Simple, attractive melodies, and clever hooks adorn what, at the heart, is rock music, thrown back to a time when singer-songwriters who knew their way around guitar or two ruled the radios. But don't let the low-key, shabby-chic style fool you; they're not afraid to turn up the volume every now and then.

But don't let the low-key, shabby-chic style fool you; they're not afraid to turn up the volume every now and then. Their sound suggests an American pastoral set to beaming Cali-fied orchestrations -- a Massachusetts license plate riding on the Pacific Coast Highway. The irresistible signature riff on "Days That Disappear" feels tense and fevered, yet it far from agitates. There's ample composure in those chords which in part prepares you for the more serene breaks. You can even hear echoes of a youthful Jeff Tweedy -- before the Wilco front man tried to break your heart -- on some of these tracks and even more of a, well, still-youthful Ryan Adams.

There's both summer breeze and winter bluster to the band, but whatever the season, you always feel as if you can sink as comfortably into Jalopy's songs as you would your dad's velveteen easy chair, smooth drink in hand, right out on your front porch.

-Peter L'Official (The Village Voice, Salon.com)