Audio By Carbonatix
Rainville
, Thursday, October 28, at the Bluebird Theater, plays a brand of all-American music that’s rare in D-town. While most Denver cowpokes revel in up-tempo forms of roots country, this fresh-out-of-the-shadows local quartet sends up the semi-twanged rock that endears bands such as Wilco and Whiskeytown to alt-country types. Like these acts, Rainville eschews rocking out for slower, grayer material. But thankfully, the boys never get too earnest; instead, they keep things sunny with witty songwriting, elegant playing and hooks that can hit glorious peaks. Tonight they’ll be celebrating the release of their debut disc, an impressive recording highlighted by John Common’s ragged black-coffee vocals and the bandmembers’ loose “we’ve had a couple of shots” playing. Are you one of those live-music fiends who swear this is one of the richest music cities in the land? Rainville’s arrival should bolster your pro-local confidence. — Marty Jones