Cruise Control

The second album from Portland country janglers Cruise Control breathes a bit of fresh air and sunshine into the alt-country kickers of late. The band skirts some of their more cosmic contemporaries, still inviting a ripple of psych, but always airing on the side of folk over their more fermented counterparts. The new album lands the band with Curation, a perfect home in the country for their pop confections. Like many of their labelmates, the band doesn’t rest easy in the jaws of genre. Time Is An Angel sits comfortably in the heat and humidity of twang but it’s never beholden to country, at times letting it’s pop impulses, folk hues, or indie instincts kick in and take over. The entire record soars on a sweet and clear breeze, effortlessly easy without ever tumbling into saccharine territory.

The band thrives in twined harmonies, the kind that seem to make the sun brighter, scented with the smells of mountain air; pine, salt, and soil all mingling in with the cadence of their choruses. There’s a definite lean into the ‘70s on the surface, but peel back the layers and shades of the psych-folk ‘00s and indie ‘90s begin to show their skin. The band weaves it together into a detailed tapestry, choosing to let their influences show in the edges, rather than enveloping a song wholesale. The melting of motives makes the record feel timeless, giving it some kind of aural umami that refuses to be pinned down. The air’s about to edge cold, but there’s a forever summer strained through Time Is An Angel, keep this one handy for the grey skies to come.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.