Ash Reiter

There’s a notable ’60s influence in Ash Reiter’s laid-back California style and sunny, well-crafted pop songs. And while that sort of thing has been trendy lately, Reiter and her band also play music that is bright but has a social conscience — one that delves into a refreshingly open exploration of anxiety while exhibiting a willingness to cast aside despair in favor of working things out. Beyond all that, the most immediately striking aspect of Reiter’s output is the sheer excellence of the musicianship and the way the band weaves its layers of sound in with her Rickie Lee Jones-esque clarity of tone.