In Tongues

Though Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers hail from Florida, they’ve never been considered a strict Southern rock band. Florida-based indie rockers Roadkill Ghost Choir, curiously, have a sound vaguely reminiscent of Petty. “Hwy,” from their debut studio album, In Tongues, captures the ornate heartland rock sound of Petty’s Southern Accents album, and elsewhere the songs flow with a similar blown-dry cool, courtesy of leader Andrew Shepard’s assured vocals. Kiffy Meyer’s pedal steel guitar provides the band with additional layers of atmosphere and intensity. Andrew’s brothers, Zach and Maxx Shepard, provide bass and drums, respectively, for a family groove. “Slow Knife” is road-ready in a “Running on Empty” sense. “A Blow to the Head” and “I Could See Everything” veer toward modern alt/psychedelic rock in the My Morning Jacket tradition. “No Enemy” chimes with guitars rolling down another smooth highway drive. It’s no surprise the band were well received on Late Night with David Letterman at a time when they'd only released the EP Quiet Light.