This evening's edition of free musical digestion is brought to you by Water Liars. The fledgling twosome from Missouri (singer-guitarist Justin Kinkel-Schuster and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bryant) only got together in 2011, but their 2012 full-length debut,
Phantom Limb (Misra Records), has already stockpiled glowing recommendations from the likes of NPR (which gave them a Song of the Day nod),
Paste magazine and
The Onion's AV Club for their mix of gentle alt folk and loose swaying rock. Opening track "$100" shifts from sludgy crawl to easy drive marked by choral vocal harmonies and a refrain that devolves back to the slower reverb-coated fuzz of the opening, while "Dog Eaten" reveals Water Liars' gorgeously tender side with sweet earnest vocals and simplistic heartsick lyrics piped over acoustic guitar. For fans of Iron & Wine.
— Leilani Polk