The Hoss, The Candle

After a decade being known around Sierra Madre, Calif., as Monster, this far less scary trio has transformed into White Dove for its new album, The Hoss, the Candle. Produced in Los Angeles by Dave Trumfio (The Pulsars, Wilco), this album sounds like an imagined memory of what pop and country rock sounded like several decades ago. But it sports dreamlike modern production that pushes the instrumentation into soft focus alongside the angelic vocals of Alex Johnstone, the group's main songwriter. Johnstone’s ability to reach the higher ends of the scale have drawn comparisons to Julee Cruise and Kate Bush. Those are fair enough points of reference but hardly prepare listeners for the magic that comes together on such well-crafted tunes as “I Was the Famous Horseman,” “No One Home," and “Sister.” Jack Long’s understated guitar lines and Carl Harders’ melodic bass parts keep things tasteful, atmospheric, and deliberately low-key, with visiting keyboards and pedal steel guitars fleshing out the sound where necessary.