Yours Truly, The Commuter (Bonus Track Version)

It isn’t surprising to hear that Jason Lytle’s first solo album since disbanding the successful indie-rock combo Grandaddy would sound much like his old band. Lytle, after all, was the band’s focal point and it was his buttery vocals that melted over the melodies. He’s left Modesto, California for Montana, but even that change in geography has done nothing in terms of his focus. These still sound like deliciously lazy tunes where the sun beats down on the cheap, garage-sale synths, solid, unyielding acoustic guitars, and smooth, seamless harmonies. “Brand New Sun,” “Ghost of My Old Dog” and “Rollin’ Home Alone” ache with Lytle’s lonely Elliot Smith vibe but with that extraterrestrial mode that Lytle cleverly interjects without fanfare. He occasionally cranks up the amps (“It’s The Weekend”) but that’s the exception. Mostly, Lytle likes to idle in the spacey, trippy terrain of bucolic folk where the mid-tempo grazes in the overgrowing grass, whether it’s with acoustic guitar or ambient piano (“Fürget It”) on hand.