The Daredevil Christopher Wright

Nice boys who play perky, off-kilter pop tunes face some tough competition, not to mention skepticism, in the wake of Vampire Weekend and MGMT. The Daredevil Christopher Wright may catch some of the same ears, but instead of slouching its way into the trend, the Eau Claire trio leaps into its songs with unsuppressed glee and a sad touch where it’s needed. The small format helps a lot: All three group members sing, often in high-pitched harmonies. The band put out an endearing five-song EP in 2005, and upped the ante on 2009’s full-length In Deference To A Broken Back. A new record, The Nature Of Things, was just released in June.

Updated 06/19/2012