The Monocle Band

Thanks to those Mumford and Avett chaps, donning vests, suspenders, fedoras and derby caps is as fashionable lately as making music with acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos and fiddles seems to be. But while the members of the Monocle Band seem (based on their press photos) to have a kindred fashion sense, and certainly favor similar instrumentation, the music of this Boulder-based quintet is far more memorable than that of the various acts stomping opportunistically down the well-trod road paved by those gents — not to mention quite a bit more subdued. Led by the breathy, bewitching vocals of Monica Whittington, the band — made up of studied players with shared backgrounds in jazz — resembles a folksier version of the Weepies backing Rosie Thomas on this affecting batch of heartrending songs, tunes that genuinely possess the kind of pastoral charm that so many others seem to be striving for these days but rarely achieve. This is one local act that is truly worth keeping an eye on.