Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea - Dead Wood Falls

I'd heard "Better Off Dancing", which is excellent, but didn't know what to expect of the album; turns out that, in a low-key sort of way, the album is pretty excellent too, not to mention much more country than I'd expected. The title track makes a good, moody scenesetter, but Dead Wood Falls really kicks into high gear with its next song, the almost PJ Harvey-esque "Peaks and Valleys", a smokily rollicking country-blues-rock fusion number with a verve and an edge. From there, Cloher slips into an engaging groove, mostly sticking with the folk-hued, downtempo stuff, but always with a brooding dynamic and an atmosphere which keeps things interesting. There are no gimmicks on this album - it's just all good.