Apache Relay

The Apache Relay are that rare band who become truer to themselves by getting away from “roots music” and exploring the joys and excitement of indie pop. Guitar twang and scuffling tunes limited these musicians, so the sextet headed to Los Angeles to work with producer Kevin Augunas, who’s helped bands like Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Cold Water Kids find the right balance. They set up at Fairfax Recordings, better known as Sound City, and began a conscious effort to find their path for doing what came naturally and what they wanted to do. There are still touches of their dusty roots (“Happiest Day of Your Life” survives on acoustic guitar), but songs such as “Katie Queen of Tennessee,” “Ruby,” and “Growing Pains” work strongly with the band’s pop harmonies, while the deep reverbs and orchestration suggest a mix of modern rock acts and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass opus. This dense wall of sound lends a ghostly vibe to “Terrible Feeling.” Then they break free with the optimistic late-album upsweep of “Dose,” “White Light,” and “Valley of the Fevers.”