The Rural Alberta Advantage

Hometowns (Saddle Creek)

By Christine Werthman
Published: August 3rd, 2009 | 12:24am

Toronto export the Rural Alberta Advantage formed in 2005 and released its debut album in 2008. Their extensive touring efforts gained the group some traction with fans, including Conor Oberst, who signed RAA to Saddle Creek to re-release

Hometowns.

The album mingles classic folk country with contemporary indie rock, placing the band alongside groups like Delta Spirit and practically on top of Neutral Milk Hotel.

Guitarist Nils Edenloff, keyboardist Amy Cole, and drummer Paul Banwatt make up the band, but it's Edenloff who anchors the group’s sound with his voice. His vocal tends toward a brittle, impassioned sound on songs like “Luciana,” where the aggressive acoustic guitar and brass throw-in seal the Neutral Milk Hotel comparison. But the group steps out of that shadow with Banwatt’s clear, predominant drumming, Cole’s keyboard work, which ranges from a low drone to a singable melody, and the more straightforward lyrical style focusing on relationships. To RAA’s advantage, the song topics are more relatable and don’t require backing knowledge of Anne Frank to comprehend.

The band also finds strength in its ability to tone things down. Banwatt can turn his drumming into a patter, and Cole can tiptoe through a delicate piano passage. Even Edenloff can soften up his delivery, as he does on “Don’t Haunt This Place.” His voice still crackles, but it is less harsh and tense, like it comes from someone who was on the rough end of a breakup. It’s a comforting song and an indicator that, while RAA does have vocal bite, it does not shy away from wearing sensitivity on its sleeve.

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