The Return of the Lonesome Coyote Patchwork Pulpit, and Sundry Other Tales From the Rainbow’s End (Independent)

Rollaway’s Benton Roark is from Georgia, and he evidently has a lot to say. Hell, just typing the title of his band’s new album ate into my allotted word count in a significant way, so let’s just call it Lonesome Coyote from here on in. Roark wrote all the songs, he sings and plays acoustic guitar and keyboards on them, and he produced Lonesome Coyote. This doesn’t make it a solo effort, though. Most of the songs feature five-part vocal harmonies, and the ensemble playing throughout is topnotch—electric guitarist Adam Tryczynski adds some particularly searing acid-rock leads to “The Lone Coyote Comin’ ’Round”.

Rollaway falls under the banner of alt-country, but it doesn’t stick to any particular formula. The songs on Lonesome Coyote range from the mellow-gold folksiness of “Desolation Sound” to the backwoods-choir elegance of “Where the Wind Blows Tenderly” (Fleet Foxes fans, take note) to the floor-stomping blues of “Old Crow Man”.

Roark covers just as much ground lyrically, lending his deep croon to symbolism-laden songs that touch on the personal cost of war (“Blood Sun Rising”), on the persistence of memories best forgotten (“Oh Tallulah, River in My Dreams”), and on how awesome it is to live in Vancouver (“Northern Star”). Okay, I’m just totally guessing, especially with that last one. But if he keeps making records as good as this one, Roark is welcome to stay here as long as he likes.