Thurs., June 20, Water Liars

When a band cites the late, great Mississippian writer Barry Hannah as an influence, it has eased itself into this journalist's heart before a note is even played. The fact that Water Liars' second album Wyoming is a damn good record is extra gravy. The Oxford, Miss.-based duo brings an unaffected, working-class gravity to its music and lyrics—a sincerity that often seems to be passed over in favor of aloofness these days. The music is Southern-tinged minimalism, and—bear with me, here—on more melancholy tracks like “Fake Heat” and “Wyoming,” Justin Kinkel-Schuster's voice makes one wonder if Thom Yorke would sound similar had he grown up in the South. 129 E Street, Suite E in Davis; http://waterliarsmusic.com.