On their fourth studio album, Abalone, New York-based Upstate confront the realities of growing older without allowing life’s harsh experiences to harden them. It’s potentially weighty subject matter, but the band approaches it with warmth, optimism and an often irresistibly upbeat blend of pop, jazz, Americana and folk.
Even the album title, Abalone, is a nod to this idea. The title track uses the abalone shell as a metaphor for how a lifetime of experiences form a rough, hard outer shell, but inside is beautifully smooth, iridescent material that reflects light in shifting shades of color. The concept of time comes up repeatedly throughout the record, starting with the opening track, “Corner,” a beautiful exercise in three-part harmonies and…

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