TK #9: Roman Candle – Oh Tall Tree in the Ear (2009)
Here’s why modern radio isn’t A-OK with me: This band isn’t on it. And here’s evidence that we’re in a new world where consensus is laid to rest and what’s classic lies solely in the ears of the listener: It would be just the mildest hyperbole to say that no one has heard this album. But around here, these three North Carolinians are titans, sitting comfortably with the artists resting at spots 10 and 11. They have everything – sturdy songs, tight arrangements, wit, soul, smarts, and a keening tenor that transforms songs about small subjects into low-key anthems. You can hear the echo of the history of rural American music in these songs, but mostly what you hear is as fine an indie rock and roll band imaginable at the decade’s end.