Great Lake Swimmers

Great Lake Swimmers’ music is fluid, blending the jangly folk-pop of Fleet Foxes with the hushed intimacy of Iron & Wine. There’s a distinct backwoods sound, as on 2007’s Ongiara, which deals in subtle and eerily contemplative moods while somehow remaining catchy. With 2009’s Lost Channels—the band’s fourth studio disc—Great Lake Swimmers adhere to their already successful formula of lilting compositions that are deceptively simple yet emotionally evocative. The band’s new release, New Wild Everywhere, favors medium tempos over slow drip, and a rich weave of strings, acoustic picking, and airy harmonies over sparseness. The band’s mix of clean, ’70s-style country-rock with old-world European grace is still never anything less than inviting.

Updated 04/25/2012