DOLOREAN
Violence in the Snowy Fields
Yep Roc
· Silverton, Oregon's Dolorean share a keyboard player with Yep Roc post-rockers The Standard.
Easy delivery and heartbreaking vocals made last year's Not Exotic, the sadly-underrated debut from Dolorean, a low-key alt-country charmer. With his drawling croon, vocalist Al James had the good fortune to sound like a young Michael Stipe, while the band offered lush, Byrds-style country rock. With their followup, the music is just as melancholy, but James can bring an optimism to even the most morose lyrics. With sugary vocal harmonies and staggered lyrics, the CSNY-flavoured "The Search" sets the album off into AM-radio rock perfection, but by the time the subtle strings and keyboard melodies hit in "Dying in Time," Violence in the Snowy Fields has really hit its pace. They have been compared to everyone from Neil Young to Elliot Smith, but one listen to the album will confirm that the band is so much more than a list of its influences could hint at. With echoed tambourines and hushed percussion, Dolorean take the edge off alt-country without ripping its heart out.
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