Colored Emotions

Just as George Lucas believes there’s no such thing as a finished film, many musicians will tell you the same about albums. Minneapolis’ Night Moves released the first version of Colored Emotions in 2011; then they garnered a buzz and a deal with Domino Recording Co., which let them re-record the album. This 2012 version resonates with the near-perfection of a boutique analog recording studio in the '70s. If not for guitarist and lead vocalist John Pelant’s nasal-affected vocals (the kind synonymous with 21st-century indie rock), it'd be easy to believe that both the opening “Headlights” and the following “Country Queen” were tracked and mixed at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood during the Gerald Ford administration. The latter tune bounces with a Beach Boys–inspired piano before unfolding into a near-orchestral sonance of twang-infused beauty. The standout song “Old Friends” draws from the melodic well of Bob Welch–era Fleetwood Mac and Once We Were Trees–era Beachwood Sparks, making for a cosmic country rocker that might be best described as “Fleetwood Sparks.”