Consumer Guide Album

The Pernice Brothers: Goodbye, Killer [Ashmont, 2010]
Compared to rival indie songsmiths, usually younger ones by now, Joe Pernice's contained intensity seems at once conscious and unforced, almost a spiritual thing--though other voices join in, he often sings as if he's harmonizing with himself. Ratcheted up to three-quarters speed at first, this starts off light, even jocular, then slows down to root around in gnarlier stuff. Gnarliest of all is "The Great Depression," which is not about business cycles. Outro goes "I never wanna die" 14X into the fade. A-