Little Hell

On Little Hell, the third outing from City and Colour, Dallas Green laments, pines, and celebrates loves both won and lost, employing a dusky, electrified patina of old and new country with a tinge of soul that's miles (sonically) from his work with the post-hardcore outfit Alexisonfire. Equal parts Whiskeytown, the Low Anthem, and Jeff Buckley, the album is built on a foundation of melancholy, but never falls into complete despair. Steeped in the abyss of late-night introspection, Green has the voice to carry the weight of his protagonists, whether it's a sibling's descent into darkness ("O' Sister") or the glimmer of hope amongst the ruins of past relationships ("We Found Each Other in the Dark"), and the songs' lush yet deceptively simple arrangements allow his words the room to resonate. ~ James Christopher Monger