Please meet Canadian indie folk band Clever Hopes: Andrew Shaver (acoustic guitar, vocals) and Eva Foote (acoustic guitar, vocals), with help from Matthew Barber (organ (and production)), Noah Reid (wurlizter piano), Joe Grass (pedal steel, guitars), Justin Rutledge (guitars), Steve Zsirai (bass, upright bass), Marshall Bureau (drums), and Kev Foran (brass). They’ve just released their debut album Artefact, with music as beautiful as Joel Gregorio’s cover art (the first addition to our Favorite Album Covers Gallery this year). The LP consists of ten Americana songs, varying in tempo, with the quiet tracks being the most impressive because the alternating vocals show how pure they are. Anyway, this is a pleasant introduction, isn’t it? RIYL: The Swell Season, Grant-Lee Phillips, Allison Russell.
Artefact is out now digitally. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp