The Prayers And Tears of Digby Sellers...

yeah, I know the name is quite a mouthful, but don't let it detract from your appreciation of The Prayers And Tears of Digby Sellers. I've been listening to a whole lot of The Mountain Goats lately because I'm reviewing their new album The Sunset Tree for Popmatters. During my immersion in all things John Darnielle I noticed this oddly named band touring with the Mountain Goats. A little research led me to believe that The Prayers And Tears of Digby Sellers is the real deal. Actually the brainchild of one Perry Wright and a revolving cast of Raleigh-Durham North Carolina musicians, Wright has garnered some comparisons to Conor Oberst but all the press i've read seems to qualify that comparison with phrases like "more mature", "grown up" and I'd add "without the swollen noggin'". This is twisted pop music in the vein of Shearwater, Okkervil River and Minus Story. Songs tend to build towards confused peaks before dissolving under their own weight, reconfiguring their trajectory and rising up again. The songs that I've heard are excellent. If Mr. Darnielle and Wright are going to be in your town, catch them and let me know because it doesn't seem like they're going to get West for awhile.

2 songs from The Mother of Love Emulates the Shapes of Cynthia (he likes long titles):

Concerning Lessons Learned From Aliens

Cannot Eat Better not Sleep

Scroll down on their MP3 page, lots of cool songs to check out.