The latest in a long line of great songwriters and awful vocalists inspired/emboldened by Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum, The Rural Alberta Advantage’s Nils Edenloff sings concise, boldly arranged tributes to home and heritage on the group’s brisk, catchy Hometowns. That self-released 2008 album earned enough buzz that Saddle Creek picked it up for a proper release this summer, a testament to the enduring appeal of mournful songs with chipper glockenspiels. Openers Catfish Haven polished their greasy garage-rock into a slick, high-concept tribute to ’70s glam-rock on their sophomore album, last year’s Devastator. Also playing: Frontier Folk Nebraska and Common Loon.
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