Oh My Girl

Jesse Sykes' stark songs roil with themes of loss, resignation, and love laid bare, placing them sonically and lyrically somewhere between "Pour Down Like Silver"-era Richard and Linda Thompson or vintage Neil Young, the warm country-gothic-noir of Nick Cave, and the elegant indie-rock of Cat Power. "Oh, My Girl" is the second full-length resulting from Sykes' partnership with guitarist/songwriter Phil Wandscher, whose previous musical project was Whiskeytown, the revered North Carolina post-punk altcountry band that he co-founded with Ryan Adams. The rest of The Sweet Hereafter -- a band that includes seasoned ex-members of Neko Case's band, Joel Phelps' Downer Trio, and The Walkabouts -- is sublime.