Califone has always thrived on odd juxtapositions of sound and style, and their new Roots & Crowns (Thrill Jockey) is the apotheosis of that approach–it reminds me of those marvelous accidents where the noise of a radio stuck between stations is more interesting than any one broadcast could be. Even so, it’s their most polished recording: engineer and onetime member Brian Deck gives each of the individually processed sounds its own place, but they never take precedence over the tunes, which are as sturdy and memorable as centuries-old folk songs. “Rose Petal Ear” is a great example of how they pull it off. Its core is a duet of Tim Rutili’s falsetto vocals and Jim Becker’s rustic banjo, sounding like Prince gone Appalachian. But bright, digitally shattered guitar scrabbles, murky analog synth gurgles, and reassuringly ragged hand claps weave in and out of the tune, coloring its emotional fabric without obscuring the overall design. –Bill Meyer
