I must preface this by saying that the fascination with the Chapel Hill scene has, for the most part, eluded me. I've never been much of a fan of most of the big CH bands, including Sorry About Dresden. Their last album, while not at all bad, utterly failed to leave any impression on me whatsoever.

So I was as surprised as anyone when I heard the latest from this North Carolina crew. Their new album, Let It Rest, ebbs and flows through rock songs, ballads, and even folky acoustic rock with the greatest of ease. The vocals have improved greatly from their last album, and the songs are simultaneously more intricate and catchy.

Though it does harbor a couple weak points here and there, the end result is a great rock record from a label that has a reputation for anything but rock.

-Dave Mandell