Glorytellers

Had Glorytellers' Geoff Farina gotten into music for cash and fame, his career trajectory would look very different. Instead of focusing on glitz and flash, he toiled for well over a decade in an obscure Boston-based combo known as Karate and also spent time in Secret Stars, a partnership with Jodi Buonanno that was both lo-fi and low-key. Predictably, neither project broke the bank, but Farina's consistently intelligent songwriting and vocals won him a devoted following sure to appreciate his latest work, too. On his new act's self-titled debut (released on Southern Records), the main Gloryteller, slated to appear at the hi-dive with Achille Lauro and Shwerver, brings a literate touch to tunes such as the brisk, vivid "Anonymous" and the reflective "Camouflage," which finds him comparing a central character to a "pale bouquet of only one rose." The complexity of Farina's imagery automatically narrows his potential audience, but that doesn't seem to bother him. He clearly has higher priorities.