The Gromet has done nothing but progress since releasing its auspicious self-titled debut EP in 2009. And while that disc was certainly noteworthy, 2010's Colorado Captain was even better, with bigger, bolder melodies and broader instrumentation. Now a quintet, the Gromet (due this Saturday, November 17, at Moe's BBQ) has continued down a path of refinement, arriving assuredly with an outstanding new album that convincingly splits the difference between the Grateful Dead and the Band, from stellar fretwork — augmented throughout by tastefully subtle organs and stout piano lines — to sublime harmonies. Whereas the cover of Captain was pure Colorado, the artwork for Barren — a sort of spray-painted Carhenge — is incongruous, belying the homespun goodness that awaits inside. What's more, the album's title is clearly a misnomer: The ground here couldn't be more fertile.