John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats and Franklin Bruno of Nothing Painted Blue have come together, a decade since their last outing together as Extra Glenns, to release Undercard, an album of clever, wry songs about modern life under the slightly altered name, Extra Lens. For the most part, these are mellow, low-key songs that are better for a rainy day at home rather than, say, tailgating before a Seahawks game. Darnielle’s knack for storytelling shines, particularly with the songs’ sparse instrumentation (most songs are accompanied by guitar and not much else). Undercard touches on several personal issues, including adultery, surviving the hum-drum daily routine in people’s lives, and the economy, but Darnielle craftily spins each tale to avoid sounding heavy handed or preachy. Standout tracks include “Programmed Cell Death,” the Randy Newman cover “In Germany Before the War,” and “Cruiserweights.” – Written by DBosket
SIMILAR | Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, The Decemberists, Iron & Wine, The Mountain Goats, Josh Rouse