The Bittersweets

This alt-country ensemble has some serious cred, including drummer Steve Bowman, who hails from Counting Crows and Third Eye Blind. But the real props go to all-around bandleader Chris Meyers, who wrote all the songs on this album and joined bassist Daniel Schacht and keyboardist Jerry Becker to produce it. Hannah Prater’s vocals are vulnerable but not weak, and her twang is just twangy enough without crossing the line into nasal. High points—well, there are too many to list. In a just world, every song on this CD would be on country-radio playlists, but since songs like “Adam,” “Bag of Bones” and “Houston” are more concerned with emotional honesty than jingoistic posturing, there’s not much chance of that. If you were country when country wasn’t corporate, keep an eye on these guys.