One Track Mind

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On July 28th, Massachusetts duo Sarah Cronin and Thomas Allen will release their second album as Drug Rug, entitled Paint the Fence. On it, the pair purveys harmony heavy, sun-drenched pop that takes equal incorporates touches of Americana, ’70s AM radio, and maybe a dash of the old Elephant 6 sound. The resultant mix falls somewhere between Beachwood Sparks and Apollo Sunshine.

One of the most immediately striking things about “Never Tell” is how perfectly suited Cronin and Allen’s vocal styles are to one another, their voices melting into a single presence. Cronin has a shades of Parton in her timbre, which lends a sense of the grand tradition of country male/female duet to the whole affair. Meanwhile, the music throughout is uncomplicated and lean with nary a wasted note in earshot. Guitar chords roll forward in a gentle tide (or, more accurately, like a gentle Tyde), supplemented every now and then by glistening, psychedelic bursts of organ. The music on “Never Tell” feels designed to showcase the tandem vocals, a wise strategy indeed, and at just over three minutes, the track is drawn to the perfect scale; it remains light but satisfying, a tasty amuse bouche for the record to follow.