Kevin Bronson on February 24th, 2012

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I See Hawks in L.A. make good sound easy. Staples of the SoCal roots music scene, I See Hawks make twangy, ruminative country that despite its easy melodies and sticky harmonies always bears enough lyrical bite to make you squirm in your porch swing or smile into stiff drink. Their new album “New Kind of Lonely,” out March 6, is an acoustic affair honed by dozens of one-mic shows, but it’s certainly not a one-note album – the stomping “Big Old Hypodermic Needle” is a highlight, and “I Fell in Love With the Grateful Dead” makes you think I See Hawks are a jam band trapped at a square dance. Now picking their way into their second decade, L.A. should never take them for granted.

||| Download: “Bohemian Highway”

||| Live: I See Hawks in L.A., joined by Old Californio, play tonight at McCabe’s Guitar Shop. They also play March 10 at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown.