Canada's
Great Lake Swimmers may not engender the endless praise ascribed to critical darlings like
Fleet Foxes or
Bon Iver, but what the Toronto quintet lacks in dazzle, it more than makes up for with authenticity. New Wild Everywhere, the group's fifth full-length outing, offers up another solid, if predictable batch of warm, contemplative, country-folk pop that seamlessly blends the rootsy, sunset melancholy of
Gram Parsons, the smoky, Adirondack sheen of
Joe Pernice's
Scud Mountain Boys and the earthy grace of the
Cowboy Junkies. Understated, yet undeniably lush (the band chose to record in a proper studio, rather than employ their usual field recording method), stand-out cuts like the languid "Cornflower Blue" and "On the Water," and the rolling,
Automatic for the People-era
R.E.M.-infused title track feel homey and safe, like flames licking the walls of a fireplace. New Wild Everywhere may not bring anything new to the table, but what It does bring, as is the case with the best comfort food, has been honed to perfection. ~ James Christopher Monger