Laarks

It’s no secret that Eau Claire has Wisconsin's highest rate of hyped bands per capita lately, but equally impressive is the diversity of sounds that continue to pour out of the northwestern Wisconsin town. Coming on the heels of Bon Iver’s chilly isolationist folk and The Daredevil Christopher Wright’s charmingly eclectic pop is Laarks, a big-sounding quartet heavily indebted to ’90s indie rock and the monumental drumming of Brian Moen, who transports singer-songwriter Ian Jacoby’s pleasingly melodic, Fender Rhodes-heavy songs from 720 pixels to epic, widescreen HD. All told, 2009's An Exaltation Of Laarks offers some good evidence that the gentle sounds streaming out of Eau Claire don't have to be at odds with the lustier side of rock.

Updated 04/07/2010