The Quiet American

As founder of the Boulder Acoustic Society, Aaron Keim clearly knows his way around acoustic music. While BAS fans will probably have an immediate affinity for Keim's solo act, the Quiet American, they may find a lot of the folk cuts on The Quiet American Vol. II (due for release this Friday, May 13, at Swallow Hill) more stripped down than BAS songs, albeit equally captivating. Inspired by Depression-era string-band music as well as the modern indie-folk scene, Keim has developed a knack for blending the old and the new. The Quiet American Vol. II, the followup to his 2009 debut, which was made on an 1890s wax cylinder machine, finds Keim putting slightly modern spins on a number of traditional songs like "Black Jack Daisy," "When Death Come (Creepin' in the Room)" and "Old Greasy Coat," along with four Keim originals and a gorgeous cover of M. Ward's "Carolina."