Catacombs

On the album he released previous to 2009's CATACOMBS, Baltimore singer/songwriter Cass McCombs began moving away from the reverb-heavy, lo-fi sound, and busy arrangements of his first two records in favor of a more direct sound. Here, McCombs strips away the remaining traces of his early bedroom-crafted indie pop sound and aims for something simpler that finally takes the focus away from the sound of the record and places it firmly on the wordy, emotionally-charged songs and his own vocals. McCombs has ditched the jittery yelping he sometimes used on DROPPING THE WRIT and settles into a warm and intimate style that instantly draws the listener in closer. Almost uniformly quiet and introspective, the new songs sustain a mood that lingers throughout the album like a melancholy haze.