Learning to Sail My Ship

Simply put, C+ is the band Louisville has been waiting for. Free of alt-country affectations, baroque Southern imagery and other trappings that so often bog down local releases, Learning To Sail My Ship is an unpretentious gem that exudes rumpled charm and fits like an old pair of shoes. On “Lost Without My Arm,” “Ever Since They Came Here” and “Travelogue,” C+ channel The Replacements, R.E.M., Dinosaur Jr. and Velvet Underground at their breeziest, sounding loose, effortlessly melodic and eminently likable. There’s no cynicism, no calculation and no posturing, just a band with a comfortable groove and the songwriting chops to deliver the goods. It sounds as unassuming as a living-room jam session with friends, but with Learning to Sail My Ship, C+ have made the odds-on frontrunner for best Louisville album of the year.