Stream: The Milk Carton Kids, ‘Monterey’

Kevin Bronson on May 13th, 2015

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If you saw Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan — the Milk Carton Kids — in the early days at the Hotel Café, you could hardly have predicted they’d be a national sensation, playing big concert halls, earning a Grammy nomination, being tabbed as group of the year at the Americana Music Awards. Their mien was so simple: Two guitars, two voices and wry earnestness that seemed démodé amid the post-millenial noise of ’roided-out folk music. But it turns out that was the point. Starting with 2011’s “Retrospect” (released before they adopted their band name) and “Prologue” and then with 2013’s “Ash & Clay,” fans matriculated to duo’s chemistry, the purity of their songs and their breathtakingly meticulous execution. Having gained even more recognition in the Coen Brothers’ and T Bone Burnett’s concert documentary “Another Day/Another Time” [recommended viewing], the Milk Carton Kids next week release their new album “Monterey,” which was recorded in concert halls, churches and theaters at various locations in North America and lives up to the comparisons to great vocal duos such as Simon & Garfunkel and the Everly Brothers. It’s a beautiful thing.

||| Stream: “Monterey” and hear the full album here, via NPR.