Max Knouse is so laid back he might tip over on this minimalist country folk record. The songwriter, from Oregon, sometimes tours and plays with Califone, another band that can kick haunting melody up out of the dust, but he shares none of their multi-tonal, multi-rhythmic fascination with rhythm. Drums and bass, played respectively by Ben Lumsdaine and Bailey Zick, stay present but simple, a sleepy swing in their slapping concord.
The main event, however, remains Knouse’s thready tenor and deep-in-the-pocket licks. His bent towards surreality begs comparisons with Michael Hurley. In somnolent “Like a Rocket Stage,” he contemplates an infestation of bees in his kitchen; the landlord explains they’re just looking for a hive. It’s just off reality, possibly…