Lit up from the Inside

Like the best of dream-filled naps or deepest of reveries, this is an album you'll want to settle into and not come out. Reference points include late-period Velvet Underground (particularly in the chugging "Sweet Jane"-like rhythm guitar of "Losing Track") and, of course, with Adam Reichmann's quavering yet true vocals and rootsy sensibilities, Neil Young. There are also some well-integrated experimental touches, such as the drum loop of "Still Be There," and the trip-hoppy "Angela," which eventually cracks wide open to reveal searing, bruised guitars and Reichmann's aching howl. Nadine can also throw down melodic, country-tinged rockers like nobody's business, and the Jayhawks or Wilco would be hard-pressed to top the mellow "Without a Reply" or the crunching euphoria of "Just Couldn't Lie." On their third outing, this St. Louis group has perfected their own uncanny blend of Americana — and while the alt-country tag has developed a Catholic enough reach to include this effort, it simply is what it is: excellent music.