This is what I’d call nighttime drive music: songs for chilly autumn roads winding through the lonely wastelands of Kentucky. Not surprisingly, these are the very places that spawned Mr. Moore, and by proxy, his Nick Drake-esque somber folk. The Cold Springs, Ky., native holds the distinction of being maybe the only act to be signed to Sub Pop based on an unsolicited demo, a recommendation in and of itself. Stray Age is beautiful like cemetery statuary is beautiful. It’s pleasantly sad, like stumbling across a memento of a long-lost love or being visited by a dead friend in a dream. This is all another way of saying that this isn’t necessarily music for everyday life. It took several days’ listening before the moment was right, and the songs grabbed me. Don’t get me wrong: It’s always pretty, but for me, pretty doesn’t always cut it. On an average busy day, these songs might drift by unnoticed, but if you’re feeling introverted, Stray Age is ready to be your companion.
This article appears in November 5, 2008.