King of Rosa (Bonus Track Version)

An alt country-rock band that seemingly prefers the garage to the saloon, the Dead Trees mix gritty guitars with vintage pop/rock hooks and the occasional stab of heartland rock & roll. King of Rosa sounds its best when those elements are combined in equal amounts, a careful balance that produces several standout tracks on this debut. "Shelter," arguably the best song here, begins like an Old 97s tune, flaunting a breezy midtempo verse before careening into a cathartic, hot-and-bothered chorus. "I think I need a little shelter!" declares frontman Michael Ian Cummings in a throaty wail, sounding far more indebted to British rock icons than any American equivalent. The rest of the disc features more stateside influences — namely Wilco and Pavement, with a smattering of the Band — and King of Rosa ultimately emerges as a fitting tribute to the band's musical heroes. "Loretta" grooves with all the shuffling swagger of a late-'60s rock nugget, "Killer in Me" finds room to spotlight Cummings' Sonic Youth fascination, and "My Friend, Joan, She Never Asks" mirrors the power pop amble of Teenage Fanclub's catalog. King of Rosa is a sturdy debut that reveals itself with repeated listens, simultaneously introducing the Dead Trees as a band on the rise.