Carquinez Straits

Sacramento’s Carquinez Straits are one of those hard-to-describe tweener bands. They have too much twang to be indie but too much indie to be alt-country. It’s quality stuff, though, and just one listen to their newest release will clue you in to that. The band’s approach, with two guitars, bass and drums, blends genres effortlessly; it’s jangly but not slick. Guitarist Jed Brewer’s songs have some intriguingly cryptic titles, like “Harlequin Davidson,” “Victory Snicker” and “The Time We Left H-Bomb in Woodland,” and they add up to an alluring package—even if you can’t put your finger on exactly what it is. Surreptitiously, this album will draw you in. For a humiliation jacket, it has a comfortable fit.