River City Extension: Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger Review

New Jersey's River City Extension trade the seaward folk stylings of their fantastic debut album for a more grounded sound on their sophomore album. They may have turned in their sea legs for cowboy boots, but the shift to a less whiskey-drenched sound does nothing to lessen the tractor-beam pull of picturesque beauties like "If You Need Me Back In Brooklyn". The guitars and horns casually shuffling over a rumbling bass line make great companions for the gorgeous duet between, front man, Joe Michelini and Sam Tacon.

Produced by Brian Deck (Iron And Wine, Modest Mouse) at Chicago's Engine Studios, the eight-piece group shines as the album finds thm evolving into a masterful folk-rock outfit on tracks like the celebratory bliss of "Point Of Surrender"; full of jangling piano, soulful horns, plucked banjo, and a shout-along hook fueled by handclap beats. The murky, curdled mix of lap steel and snarling electric guitar of "Slander" could easily fall apart in the hands of a lesser band, but the quivering ache of Michelini's vocals and the twangy banjo flickering through tie the frustrated gem together nicely. The blend of spaghetti western whips, winding lap steel, and hammering saloon piano drive their affirmation of life on "Down, Down, Down", as Michelini proudly confesses, "I am writing this for me, so I'm not lost at sea / I need something when you're not around".

The band has a way of turning even their darkest moments into feel-good winners, with regretful fingerpicked acoustic tenderness of "Golden Tongue (Thanatopsis)" posessing an oddly comforting warmth. The back-porch charm of the opening verse to "Ballad Of Oregon" quickly opens to an folk epic, full of swirling strings, horns, banjo, and oozing harmonies, while the quaint Irish charm of fiddle-laced "Everything West Of Home" seduces your ears before bringing in the speckled melodic cool of "Brooklyn" again. River City Extension have crafted the kind of album you immediately buy several copies of for friends who might not have had the pleasure of finding this magnificent band.

Seek - "If You Need Me Back In Brooklyn", "Point Of Surrender", "Welcome To Pittsburgh"
For fans of - The Decemberists
If you like this, we think you'll also dig - The Features: Some Kind Of Salvation