(Blue Sky Recording, CD)

For an album recorded during a freezing winter, Raven’s Waltz from the Brooke Clover Band carries a somewhat exotic flavor. Unfortunately, it’s never quite spicy enough. The collection’s mild atmosphere leans towards melancholia peppered with short bursts of optimism. It’s as if the New Hampshire-based songwriter can never quite lift his dour mood, though there’s the occasional jolt of potential.... Read more

(JamFlow Records, CD)

True confession: I am not a jam-band kind of girl. I’ve gone to local shows, listened to Phish blasting out of dorm room windows, and friends have made me Béla Fleck mixes. Still, nothing has changed my mind. That said, I have to give credit to Hubbardton-based quartet Twiddle. With their first full-length studio effort, Natural Evolution of Consciousness, they’ve almost made me a believer.... Read more

(Saddle Creek Records, CD)

Omaha darlings Neva Dinova have a handful of indie releases to their credit — including on the mp3-based Crank! — but You May Already Be Dreaming is their debut for hometown magnates Saddle Creek Records. The disc has an atmospheric twang that’s hard to forget, and it holds up well alongside output from label mates such as Bright Eyes and The Faint. ... Read more