On April 24th, singer-songwriter/co-Raconteur Brendan Benson will release his fifth solo album, What Kind of World, via his newly-established imprint Readymade. Our first taste comes in the form of the Wings-ian “Bad For Me”. Kicking off with an orchestral intro, the song slowly transforms into a piano-powered ballad about a love you can’t resist (though totally should). The grand, sweeping approach sounds more bubbly and polished than some of Benson’s past work, but he maintains his folksy insight and wit amid the tickling of the ivories. Take a listen to the song below (via Stereogum). Just after that is Benson’s upcoming tour schedule.

Brendan Benson – “Bad For Me”

Brendan Benson 2012 Tour Dates:
03/13-16 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest
04/28 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge * #
05/03 – Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live *
05/05 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
05/10 – San Diego, CA – Casbah *
05/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *

* = w/ Young Hines
# = w/ The Howling Brothers

Brendan Benson‘s already got himself something of a career, what with solo success, loads of work as a producer, and being one-half of the creative dynamo behind The Raconteurs. Now, Benson is approaching his buddy and bandmate Jack White in terms of sheer business and creative control with a brand-new record label and publishing company, Readymade, that will release his next album, What Kind of World.

Readymade first came around in the ’90s as a means for Benson to release the Wellfed Boy demos as a 12″ vinyl. Speaking about the need for an output like Readymade, Benson’s business partner Emily White said the imprint is a means for Benson to further develop his artistic empire.

“Brendan produced 5 albums in 2011, including his own. Launching Readymade gives us the option of a release platform tailored to each album under the same home. We wanted a way for Brendan to be able to create music when and how he wants and be able to put out the music sans any barriers. The answer to what we were looking for is Readymade.”

Alongside releases from Benson, the label has also signed Nashville rock outfit Young Hines, whose next record, Give Me My Change, will hit stores on April 10th.

Benson’s What Kind of World is scheduled to be released digitally on April 21st through BrendanBenson.com, with a street date set for April 24th to coincide with his son’s second birthday. No word yet on any album details, so stay tuned for more. In the meantime, check out Benson’s upcoming tour dates below.

Brendan Benson 2012 Tour Dates:
03/13-16 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest
04/28 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge * #
05/03 – Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live *
05/05 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
05/10 – San Diego, CA – Casbah *
05/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *

* = w/ Young Hines
# = w/ The Howling Brothers

Set to take place on September 17th at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, the festival will also feature Sheryl Crowe, as well as a slew of other Michigan-based artists, including Mitch Ryder, former Grand Funk Railroad frontman Mark Farner, The Romantics, the Rockets, Alto Reed from Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band and Ty Stone & the Truth.

There’s no word on whether The Raconteurs plan to play other dates in 2011, or if the band is ready to finally follow up their masterful 2008 record, Consolers of the Lonely. Here’s why we care though:

In addition to the reissue, the singer has been working on his fifth full-length album at Welcome to 1979 studios in Nashville, TN. Among the musicians joining him in the studio are Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of Big Star and The Poise and Brad Pemberton of Ryan Adams and The Cardinals. Benson is self-producing the album, which has yet to be titled or given a release date. More news on that effort as it’s announced.

Lapalco Reissue Tracklist:
01. Tiny Spark
02. Metarie
03. Folk Singer
04. “Life in the D
05. Good to Me
06. You’re Quiet
07. What
08. Eventually
09. I’m Easy
10. Pleasure Seeker
11. Just Like Me
12. Jet Lag
13. Maybe So Hard (Previously Unreleased – Included in Digital Album Version only)

Bonus Tracks – Available in Digital Format
14. Metarie (UK Version with the Wellfed Boys) (Metarie EP)
15 Metarie (Fred De Faye Mix) (Metarie EP)
16. Metarie (Wellfed Version) (Metarie EP)
17. Meaning to Write (“Tiny Spark” B-side)
18. Old Fashioned (Good to Me B-side)
19. Son of a Welder (“Folk Singer B-side)
20. Metarie (Alpha Dub Mix) (Metarie EP)
21. Unfortunate Guy (“Folk Singer” B-side)
22. No Dial Tone (“Tiny Spark” B-side)
23. You’re Quiet (Wellfed Version)” (Metarie EP)
24. Feel Like Myself (“Folk Singer” B-side)
25. Let Me Roll It (Metarie EP)
26. Tiny Spark (Final Demo)
27. Tiny Spark (Demo)
28. Good To Me (Demo)

To record the album, the Seattle power-pop outfit packed up their gear and headed to El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain followed by trips to Ecuador, Canada, Paris, and Los Angeles. This geographic journey is reflective of the album’s content. According to co-founder Jon Auer (via Paste Magazine), “We directed ourselves to new places with this recording and tried not to travel down familiar paths when it could be avoided. Expect the unexpected.” The tracklist is revealed below.

The Posies will debut their new material to a sold-out audience at Brooklyn’s Rock Shop on September 23rd. But once Blood/Candy drops September 28th on Rykodisc, the foursome will continue galavanting across the globe. Between September 28th and October 26th, the band will perform 23 shows across Europe — touching down in Spain, France, England, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

After returning Stateside November 5th, the Posies will join up with The Raconteurs’ Brendan Benson for a co-headlining US tour. Both acts have decided to keep their performances pretty intimate. Stops include Chi-Town’s Bottom Lounge, The Loft in Atlanta, Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC, and San Francisco’s Independent. The tour appropriately ends in The Posies’ hometown of Seattle mid-December.

Blood/Candy hits stores on September 28th via Rkyo. The dates for both the international and US legs of the tour follow. Tickets for several US stops will be available via Ticketmaster August 8th or 9th.

Brendan Benson has not yet announced a new solo project, but he is part of Margaret Cho’s indie wet-dream.

Blood/Candy Tracklist:
01. Plastic Paperbacks
02. The Glitter Prize
03. Licenses To Hide
04. So Caroline
05. Take Care Of Yourself
06. Cleopatra Street
07. For The Ashes
08. Accidental Architecture
09. She’s Coming Down Again!
10. Notion 99
11. Holiday Hours
12. Enewetak

The Posies 2010 Tour Dates:
09/28 – Murcia, ES @ Sala Stereo
09/30 – Madrid, ES @ Heineken
10/01 – Valencia, ES @ Wah Wah
10/02 – Barcelona, ES @ Apolo 2
10/04 – Paris, FR @ Divan du Monde
10/05 – London, UK @ Garage
10/06 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix
10/07 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Orangerie
10/08 – Liege, BE @ Kazerne Fonck
10/09 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Sugar Factory
10/10 – Groningen, NL @ Vera
10/12 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli de Helling
10/13 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22
10/14 – Berling, DE @ Comet Club
10/15 – Hamburg, DE @ Silber Club
10/17 – Malmo, SE @ Inkonst
10/19 – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Slussen
10/20 – Gothenburg, SE @ Sticky Fingers
10/21 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee
10/22 – Bergen, NO @ Kvarteret
10/23 – Trondheim, NO @ Blaest
10/25 – Helsinki, FI @ Tavastia
10/26 – Turku, FI @ Klubi
11/05 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom #
11/06 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge #
11/07 –  Newport, KY @ Southgate House #
11/09 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre #
11/10 – Columbus, OH @ Outland Live #
11/11 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre #
11/12 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall #
11/13 – New York, NY @ The Highline Ballroom #
11/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero Theater #
11/16 – Boston, MA @ Royale #
11/17 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
11/18 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle #
11/19 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In #
11/20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Loft #
11/21 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall #
11/24 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
11/26 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa #
11/27 – Houston, TX @ The Argentum #
12/01 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre #
12/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia @ LA Live #
12/05 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent #
12/08 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater #
12/11 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market #

# = w/ Brendan Benson

Don’t think these artists emailed in recordings of a few Cho lines either. Every artist cowrote his or her track(s). Yes, that means Ani DiFranco played an active role in creating “Captain Cameltoe”. If you don’t find this vaguely distressing, you should.

Several of these songs have seen the light of day, including “Eat Shit and Die” with Grant Lee Phillips and “My Puss”, which became a music video that’s about as classy as you would expect. Listen to those songs at your own risk and check out the full track list below.

Meanwhile, Cho is expected to appear at Bonnaroo this weekend with The Raconteurs Brendan Benson, where they’ll film a music video for their co-written tune, ” Baby I’m With the Band”.

Cho Dependent Tracklist:
01. Intervention (w/ Tegan & Sara)
02. Calling in Stoned (w/ Ben Lee & Tommy Chong)
03. Your Dick (w/ A.C. Newman and Ben Lee)
04. Baby I’m With The Band (w/ Brendan Benson)
05. Hey Big Dog (w/ Patty Griffin, Ben Lee, and Fiona Apple)
06. I’m Sorry (w/ Andrew Bird)
07. Lice (w/ Ben Lee)
08. Enemies (w/ Jon Brion)
09. Asian Adjacent (w/ Grant Lee Phillips)
10. Gimme Your Seed (w/ Garrison Starr)
11. Eat Shit and Die (w/ Grant Lee Phillips)
12. Captain Cameltoe  (w/ Ani DiFranco)
13. My Puss (w/ Diana Yanez & Kurt Hall)
14. Hidden Track: Lesbian Escalation (w/ Rachael Yamagata)

Be Yourself: A Tribute To Graham Nash’s Songs For Beginners features 11 unique spins on Nash’s 1971 solo debut Songs For Beginners. For example, Oldham, using his Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy moniker, tackled “Simple Man” (preview here), while Pecknold re-did “Be Yourself”. Other contributors to the album include Alela Diane, Sleepy Sun, Port O’Brien, Papercuts, and Graham’s own daughter, Nile Nash

There is also a five-track bonus EP, which features Two Gallant’s Tyson Vogel, Johnathan Rice, and Citay.

The album will be available next Tuesday, May 25th via Grass Roots Records, in collaboration with Nile Nash and Britt Govea of (((folkYEAH!))). It will be available in CD, digitial, and limited edition 180 gram vinyl formats. Click here to order.

Graham, Nile, the artists, and Grass Roots Records will donate a portion of the proceeds from the record to Wavy Gravy’s Camp Winnarainbow. Through the use of music, acrobatics, games, and production this circus and performing arts camp in the Mendocino woods of northern California teaches children and adults tools for building self-esteem, community, conflict resolution, communication, and plain old merriment.

Find both a teaser trailer and the complete tracklist below.

Be Yourself: A Tribute To Graham Nash’s Songs For Beginners Tracklist:
01. Port O’Brien/Papercuts – Military Madness
02. Brendan Benson – Better Days
03. Nile Nash – Wounded Bird
04. Vetiver – Used to Be a King
05. Robin Pecknold (of Fleet Foxes) – Be Yourself
06. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Simple Man (Hombre Sencillo)
07. Moore Brothers – Man in the Mirror
08. Alela Diane – There’s Only One
09. Mariee Sioux (with Greg Weeks of Espers) – Sleep Song
10. Sleepy Sun – Chicago
11. Various/Nile Nash – We Can Change the World (Reprise)

Bonus EP:
01. Tyson Vogel (of Two Gallants) – Hey You (Looking At The Moon)
02. Johnathan Rice – On The Line
03. Jonathan Wilson + special guests – And So It Goes (Music Gets You High)
04. Bart Davenport – Better Days
05. Citay – Military Madness

Tickets, priced at $20, are currently on sale at showclix.com. If you can’t make it, however, don’t worry. The performance is also being recorded. Just make sure you donate.

“You know, of course, Jack was the most publicized thing about The Raconteurs. And I think, unfortunately, he sort of eclipsed the other guys in the band. And that’s not him personally. I think the press did that. The press sort of said, ‘Jack White and company’ or ‘Jack White and his band,’ rarely mentioning the other people who had a huge, major part in the music. I’m really proud of my contributions to that band. And it’s just a little sad to not be acknowledged for that.”

Brendan Benson on his experiences as a member of The Raconteurs, which, at least from a musical perspective, did prove to be quite successful. So did his recently released solo release. (via Nashville Scene & TFB).

Beginning November 13th in St. Louis, Benson, along with his backing band featuring Brad Pemberton on drums (Ryan Adams), Jared Reynolds on bass (Ben Folds), and Mark Watrous on guitar and keys (The Raconteurs) and Chisel will embark on a month long endeavor consisting of dates up and down the east coast and across the mid-west.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com.

Brendan Benson & Cory Chisel 2009 Tour Dates:
11/13 – St. Louis, MO @ The Bluebird
11/14 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
11/15 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
11/18 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Ballroom
11/20 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/21 – Indianapolis, IN @ Music Mill
12/01 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
12/02 – Boston, MA @ The Middle East
12/04 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
12/05 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
12/07 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
12/09 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
12/10 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
12/12 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In

Obviously, Benson and his cohorts are no strangers to the decade where rock hit puberty and started rebelling against itself and many of its values in a wailing, sonic boom-inducing fashion. But where Jack White and Jack Lawrence would go with The Dead Weather, Benson would take a different route in the journey of revitalizing and recapturing that lightning and swagger generated by the likes of Led Zeppelin or even The Who.

The overall feel of the album is something new, especially from the darker tones of Consolers Of The Lonely. It’s unabashedly in the vein of great ’70s stadium rock. And while the past few years may have been spent praying at the alter of Jimmy Page and maybe even some great bluesmen of the mid-20th century, Benson instead focuses his child-like devotion on someone a bit different: Paul McCartney.

My Old, Familiar Friend is full of the Wings-esque stadium songs, all in the structure of overcomplicated pop songs. These are grandiose declarations of love lost and gained, and the complexities of being a human, far removed from the obscure, often artsy lyrical content and musical construction of his Raconteurs bandmates. Benson goes so far as including more bubble gum pop/psychedelic music throughout the album; the saccharine onslaught is especially prevalent in the opening track “A Whole Lot Better”. One also might make comparisons to Gary Glitter, but doing so adds a context of cheesiness and rigid tactics from some kind of carny; make no mistake, these are genuine pop gems filtered through the ambiance and open air of arena rock magic.

The album is stacked with standout songs. Two of the better ones may throw off even older Benson fans. “Garbage Day” begins and leaves you nodding your head in a befuddled kind of way. The track is a Motown-ready slam of Al Green soul and rock and R&B, but it takes that satiny soul and distills it like Outkast might, keeping the gleam and the feel but changing up the tempo, bridging it to a more modern sound. Almost as surprising is “Feel Like Taking You Home”. Here, Benson takes the vibe and sex appeal of some lusty funk song and shows what The Raconteurs do to really shine: Add a spin of power or fury and drive some emotion to move along a sweet, sultry rhythm.

Buzzing on the other end of the spectrum is a song like “Poised and Ready”, the album’s Elvis Costello (circa This Year’s Model)-endorsed track. It’s a blast from the trail end of a time where rock and its attitude had to learn to express itself in the new romantic movement. Though Benson hardly sticks around long enough, as he returns to more straight up rock with one of the album’s highlights, “Gonowhere”. Here he channels the spirit of The Beatles’ “Come Together”, with a similar thumping beat that’s indicative of a chameleon style of music both trippy and heavy and unattainable by most restrictive labels or genres.

This album truly is a tour of the ’70s; from the aforementioned works of unbelievable merit to others that invoke spacey Pink Floyd (“Lesson Learned”) to even the era-friendly calls of woeful confusion and heartbreak that hop along via acoustic guitar smoothness (“You Make A Fool Out Of Me”). Benson went against the grain by experimenting some, but with an authority few artists in his respected genre carry. In other words, he knows how “it’s” really done. He’s trying something progressive while still working as steadily as he can without losing himself or his audience. That, if anything, is the mark of a true solo artist who can juggle a group and his own aspirations.

Undeniably, Jack White will always set the music world on fire. Whether it’s with a new band or solo work, he is modern day rock’s king and savior to many. But with this effort, Benson has proven that his dedication to growth and re-imagining of the dazzling ’70s and beyond could put him into the fast track of topping playlists and record collections of rock fans across the world. It may even bring light to his previous solo releases. He’s no Jack White, but he might not have to be.

First and foremost, Benson’s latest solo effort, My Old, Familiar Friend, is set for an August 18th release. But the stellar folks over at NPR.org have been streaming the 11-track effort since yesterday. This is Benson’s fourth solo album and the follow up to 2005′s The Alternative to Love. Produced by Pixies and Echo & the Bunnymen vet Gil Norton, fans can expect some “timeless melodies, complete with hand-claps, raw guitar work, and seductive storytelling.”

And no solo effort would be complete without the corresponding tour. Benson has a few dates booked from mid-August to mid-September which will take him to must-play markets such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and… Ann Arbor. Those looking for a taste of Benson outside the mecca that is the home of the Wolverines can check out his performance on The Late Show With David Letterman on August 21st.

Tickets for select dates are available via Ticketmaster.com.

Brendan Benson 2009 Tour Dates:
08/17 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
08/20 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
08/22 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
09/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
09/11 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up
09/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

Picking up where his 2005 effort, The Alternative to Love, left off, My Old, Familiar Friend continues Benson’s quest in self discovery. With songs “Feel Like Taking You Home”, “Garbage Day” and upcoming single “A Whole Lot Better”, the songwriter by day and bluesman by night cuts into some timeless melodies, complete with hand-claps, raw guitar work, and seductive stortytelling.

Produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters) and mixed by Dave Sardy (LCD Soundsystem), Friend took Benson to both London and Nashville, where he recorded the album in parts, all resulting in an 11-track LP. The cool angle to it all? This marks the first album post-Raconteurs, so for fans of his solo work, expect some surprises in both style and substance.

End the summer season wisely with a Friend on August 18th via ATO Records.

My Old, Familar Friend tracklist:
01. A Whole Lot Better
02. Eyes on The Horizon
03. Garbage Day
04. Gonowhere
05. Feel Like Taking You Home
06. You Make a Fool Out of Me
07. Poised and Ready
08. Don’t Want To Talk
09. Misery
10. Lesson Learned
11. Borrow

Reunions:
Blur is officially back. So are the Pixies.

Pixies:
Speaking of the Pixies, in what will be latest completely overwhelming box set, The Pixies have detailed the forthcoming Minotaur. The set will be available as either a $175 Deluxe Edition and a $495 Limited Edition and feature a collection of recordings, a live DVD, and a book. Pitchfork has all the details.

The Raveonettes:
Not following in the footsteps of Trent Reznor, The Raveonettes have announced plans to let fans in on the recording of their forthcoming studio album, due this fall. The band is not only Tweeting its progress, but has created a micro-site to host demos from the recording process.

Brendan Benson:
With Jack White busy with non-Raconteurs stuff, fellow Raconteur Brendan Benson has moved back to the solo side of things. On August 18th, he will release his fourth full-length effort, a 11-track work called My Old, Familiar Friend via ATO. And keeping the Pixies vibe going, Pixies producer Gil Norton oversaw the creation of this album.

Sally Shapiro:
On August 25th, Sweden’s own Sally Shapiro will celebrate her latest italo-disco creation, a nine-track effort entitled My Guilty Pleasure, via Paper Bag Records. Johan Agebjörn produced the album, which is being described as a “bit more poppy and varied” than 2007′s Disco Romance, the result of Shaprio’s incorporation of such genres as =trance, cosmic disco, acid, ambient and jazz while still having 80′s disco as her base. The album’s first single, “Miracle”, will be released on June 16th.

Mount Eerie:
Phil Elverum will soon be ready to reveal an album some two years in the making. On August 18th, the Washington native will return as Mount Eerie with the release of Wind’s Poem. Composed of 12 tracks, the album’s sound is said to exhibit “hundred kinds of distortion, oceans of synth, and clouds of bass,” or as the press release further notes, the result of Elverum sitting behind his house, at the edge of the woods, listening into the night for two years. In support of the release, Mount Eerie will be touring in a full band version all over the U.S. this fall.

Cast Spells:
Next month, David Davison, aka the leader of Maps & Atlases, will debut his brand new band, Cast Spells, with the release of an EP entitled Bright Works And Baton on Sargent House. In support of the release, the band will hit the road in July with So Many Dynamos.

Division Day:
It was a busy week for Los Angeles quartert Division Day. After all, the band announced its signing with Dangerbird Records and the release of its sophmore studio effort, Visitation. The latter is due out August 18th and will feature the production talents of Justin Meldal Johnsen, who has previously worked with Nine Inch Nails, Beck, and Gnarls Barkley. “Searching the dichotomy between darkness and light” is said to be the theme, while the sound is billed as “gauzy, dreamy and driving.”

It’s not that Icky Thump and this year’s Consolers of the Lonely are unpleasant, they just lack the punch and dynamite of Elephant or Broken Boy Soldiers, respectively to both bands. Jack White’s 2006 inclusion, The Raconteur’s Broken Boy Soldiers, was everything The White Stripes was never going to be: a full fledging, enveloping garage-rock band. That’s still the case here, but it’s just not as enjoyable.

There’s a great deal of music here to appreciate. Much like Broken Boy Soldiers, guitarist and keyboardist Brendan Benson is still the best part of the album and is consistently raising the bar for Jack White. A part of me wonders what the band might sound like if he took more of a lead, but that might be like asking Dave Grohl back in 1991 to write a few songs for In Utero. Both Cobain’s and White’s faces would stare long and hard.

“Consoler of the Lonely” claws open the sophomoric release, where every member shines equally. Whether it’s White’s jive talking antics (that seem carried over from Icky Thump), Patrick Keeler’s drumming that could fill in for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, or the wobbly bass lines of Patrick Keeler, the magnificent presence this band exudes is made self aware in high volume here.

Call me crazy, but the new single, “Salute Your Solution”, sounds like a steroid built homage to 2005′s “Blue Orchid,” the single and only heavy song off the unnecessary piano laden Get Behind Me Satan. It’s still a rocking song, even if it lacks the presence and pop of “Steady As It Goes.” The band makes up for it with the album’s clincher, “You Don’t Understand Me,” which is worth the sale of the album. Benson’s piano work is chilling, White’s refrains are catchy as hell (“And there’s always a better point of view…”), and the guitar work is jaw dropping. A key track which will sweep the stage come this summer.

Then something happens, the album shifts. There’s bayou type sounds (the violin driven “Old Enough”), big band anthems (the horn infested “The Switch And The Spur”), and the seventies throwback tune (the wah wah of “Hold Up”). Each are an indication that the band is dusting off different instruments in the garage, maybe tampering with their parent’s high school instruments, I don’t know. It’s just a sign that the band’s not just stretching, they’re turning around some.

Consolers of the Lonely showcases each of the musician’s influences. The cover art is important here. Notice the band, burrowed deep into what looks like the Southern backwoods. Much of the album sounds this way, with the many slide guitars, the rugged themes, and the afternoon glaze that much of the distortion hints at. If the first half is a continuation from where Broken Boy Soldiers left off, the latter of the album is devoted to the band moving on.

That’s what makes this sophomoric effort that much harder to swallow. White has already proved to the world that he’s a man of catch and release. His songs pull you in with their individual knack and wit, or at least they once did. In “Old Enough,” when he sings, “I was naive, just like you/ I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” perhaps he’s referring to that era, a time when he accomplished everything in under a couple of minutes and throughout an entire album. If that’s the case, that might explain why everything lately has more flavor and less bite.

For an evolving musician, that’s the best insurance plan possible. Unfortunately, some listeners might not be running at the same pace he is. Nevertheless, Consolers of the Lonely is an album that only values with every listen, but that’s if you’re still likely to keep spinning it (or clicking it, you MP3 do’ers).