Then Came the Morning by the Lone Bellow

“Then came the morning.” Such a simple phrase with such a comfy feel to it. A lightness. The night may have tested their resolve...then came the morning. There's hope in that phrase. It sets the tone for an album that delivers a shiny new brand of dusty old songs.

It's probably just the Brooklyn winter talking, but there's bitter in the sweetness of this record. Produced by Aaron Dessner of the National, it is folky at its core, but just enough of everything else Americana. It's Country. It's Gospel. It's Indie. It's Pop. It's dirty Southern Rock. It's refreshing.

These crafty songwriters have soulful voices. Each song snaps a sepia-toned picture. Each vocal performance is as honest as it is breathtaking. Each musical fusion is completely organic. In “Marietta,” a timid man admits, “I let you in again. And patiently wait for your storm.” The band summons images of a lonely soldier “called to war from trumpets tall. Love will see the army's fall” in “Call to War.” These are hopeful hipsters. The final phrase of the last song echoes. Lingers. “I let you go and hoped you'd come back to me.” Then came the ending.

• Album: Then Came the Morning
• Artist: The Lone Bellow
• Label: Descendant Records
• Songs: (1) Then Came The Morning (2) Fake Roses (3) Marietta (4) Take My Love (5) Call To War (6) Watch Over Us (7) Diners (8) Heaven Don't Call Me Home (9) If You Don't Love Me (10) Telluride (11) To The Woods (12) Cold As It Is (13) I Leg You Go