Ramona Falls

As a member of the Portland, Oregon trio Menomena, Brent Knopf is used to engineering a more experimental sound than most of what’s labeled “indie rock” these days. His penchant for blending pop songs with far-flung arrangements also birthed his solo project Ramona Falls, which, on the debut Intuit, consists of Knopf and a rotating cast of more than 30 different musician friends. It's not as crazy as it could be, suggesting Knopf has turned a potentially unwieldy equation into something that flows. The songs on Intuit, as well as the stunning new follow-up, Prophet, are grounded in the eerie-yet-heartfelt vibe that Menomena pulls off so well, and the differences from track to track are actually rather subtle.

Updated 06/05/2012