Year of the Whale

San Francisco's Or, The Whale are gearing up for a wide release of their debut album via Seany Records in January 2009. The DIYers deliver a sincere alt-country presentation mixing in a little indie rock with a mess of resolute back porch blues. Much like the similarly named Noah and the Whale, this group is quickly and impressively making their way to the very top of my list. Their debut album, Light Poles and Pines, combines croaky lead vocals and a whining pedal steel pulled together by stirring harmonies. The west-coasters are staying to their own side of the map for now, but a new album will hopefully change that.

mp3: Call And Response