Chocolate & Ice
Chocolate and Iceis the fourth EP from this Louisville, Kentucky, band who exhibit a curious fondness for beards, bluegrass, andNeil Young. The music, as expected, is an intriguing mix of Americana and psychedelia, pairing jangly guitars and molasses-thick rhythms with frontman Jim James's serviceable falsetto. Songs like "Such Protection from My Bed" and "Sweetheart" evokePalace,Low, and occasionally, earlyR.E.M., without quite committing to any particular influence. Though doggedly left field, it is actually enjoyable stuff.--Aidin Vaziri