(self-released)

As evidenced on Lonesome No More!, Nellie Pearl has seemingly perfected their blend of rootsy indie pop that mashes a guitar, a fiddle and a stand-up bass with Rachel Lauren Monroe’s delightful voice. She reminds me of a young Kate Pierson from The B-52’s. Her charming, simplistic vocal melodies have a sense of fortitude that really elevates each and every song. Nellie Pearl mostly stays the course with conventional song structure that doesn’t stray too far away from the usual Americana/pop-rock blueprint. “Live/Die” is an up-beat standout track, but the band deviates from their formula on the instrumental “Return to Surf Mountain,” a fun beach-rock number that sounds a lot like something you’d hear from The Ventures. This record really works for me as a soundtrack to warm weather, which I’m happy to report, considering spring is finally here.