It’s a little hard to categorize the
style of Country Mice; it’s certainly not country, though it definitely has elements
of folk and Americana. This interesting
blend of styles is no surprise; the band hails from the Midwest, but later
relocated to Brooklyn. Twister, their first full length album,
is not the best first impression, but the band shows some potential.

Some of their long,
dreamy guitar interludes are captivating, reminiscent of the sweet, transient
tunes of My Morning Jacket. The
instrumentation in general is pretty well done–probably one of the album’s
strongest points. There are slithering,
dark bass lines with ethereal guitar licks floating on top of them.

Unfortunately, lead
singer Jason Rueger’s voice doesn’t register as quite so sweet and
transient. Its harshness and
nasality is jarring against the smoothness of the guitars. The band’s use of vocal harmonies is
also a little lackluster–not at all like the chilling, beautiful arrangements
of My Morning Jacket or Fleet Foxes.

           Coming
from a long-time fan of Conor Oberst’s work (and plenty of other artists who
have pretty unconventional vocal styles) it’s saying something if I’m compelled
to knock a band for its vocals. 
Usually, what a group lacks in vocal prowess, it makes up for in lyrical
complexity. Unfortunately, Rueger
isn’t exactly Bob Dylan, and the repetition of lyrics like “Get ’em out of my
walls, get ’em out of my walls” is more irritating than anything. 

A lot of songs have an
“almost-there” quality: their beginnings are beautifully promising–almost
cinematic–but somehow, they tend to disappoint by the end.

           And
that’s not to say the album is a complete bust. “Morning Sun” is a pensive (maybe apocalyptic?) folk song
with the lyrics, “You ain’t gonna be around in the morning, son/ Sun is rising
but there ain’t gonna be no one.” It has the kind of quaint guitar lines and
gentle drum hits you’d expect from a band with the name Country Mice.

           “Worn
Hearts” is another notable track. 
It’s highly emotional and melodically interesting.

           The
band has definite potential. These
boys can write pretty solid instrumental material, but the vocals and lyrics
are a little underdeveloped. Some
songs might take a few listens to truly appreciate. Overall though, the album’s a bit of an acquired taste, and
it doesn’t quite make the mark.

2.5/5 stars