In the Store

Album review

As with any Tony Molina-involved album, In the Store breezes past in a brief blur of jangle, melody, and melancholy that's given a star-kissed glow by his innate skill at crafting hooks and his never less than honest words and vocals. The Lost Days are a duo comprised of Molina and singer/songwriter Sarah Rose Janko of the band Dawn Riding, who provides her sweetly sung vocals to the mix. The concept of the band leans more toward the folk-rock side of the Molina sound. Inspired by reclusive lo-fi hero Bill Fox, the record is acoustic for the most part, though the strummed six-strings are often overlaid with electric 12-string and the occasional solo. Achingly intimate, the songs cut pretty deep with topics like addiction and heartbreak discussed and dismissed in a short time frame -- no track is longer than two minutes except for one. They also sound borderline angelic as the layers of guitars, unadorned vocals, and soaring melodies combine to fill the speakers -- and the listener's aching heart -- with medical-grade helium. It's pleasant and lovely, and when Molina and Janko do expand a little on their template to add drums, guitar solos, and organ to "In the Store," the results are so wonderful that it's hard not to wonder just how great a full album of slightly more expanded songs might have sounded. For now it's enough to be glad that Janko and Molina have teamed up to make a record as nice and easygoing as In the Store. It lacks a bit of the urgency and weirdness of a Bill Fox record -- seriously, check his work out now -- but it captures a nice feeling of two good friends getting together and making warm and welcoming music, and sometimes that's close to perfect.

© Tim Sendra /TiVo