Fans of Wilco and Conor Oberst should have no trouble getting into the folk-rock grooves off the new solo record from Two Gallants’ Adam Haworth Stephens, We Live On Cliffs. With its cast of all-star players — that includes former or current members of My Morning Jacket, Nine Inch Nails, Whiskeytown, Blood Brothers, and more — even I’ll admit to being worried that this foray from his angst-driven alt-country duo might have become an overly ambitious affair. To our pleasant surprise, though, Stephens and producer Joe Chicarelli turned the potential overdose of talent in the studio into a relaxed, soulful set of tunes that’s enduring plenty of repeated listens around here. The first single, “The Cities That You’ve Burned,” was a great example from the effort, but “Second Mind” is even better.
Download the free MP3 here, check out his Daytrotter session, and give “Second Mind” a spin below.