By Jesse Cataldo & Delia Paunescu

Califone – Roots and Crowns – Thrill JockeyHorse Feathers – Words are Dead – Lucky Madison

Roots-rock has been nearing a point of apparent saturation for months by this point, but on some stubborn level it refuses to get old. Whether this is a testament to the diverse palette of Americana they have to work with or the ingenuity of the artists themselves is left to be decided, though Califone and Horse Feathers make a strong case for the latter. Roots and Crowns is Califone’s seventh album; Words are Dead is Horse Feathers’ first, but both share a willingness to twist and bend convention to fit their own supple aims. Califone does this by melding jazz and blues over a starkly defined electronic canvas, resulting in songs so thick and earthy they sound like they’re emanating from below the surface. Horse Feathers bases their songs around strings, instruments which, on album opener “Hardwood Pews” grabs the reins from a softly plucked guitar and rocket off into the atmosphere, creating a classic urgency that sounds just enough like something you’ve heard before. This quality is sustained throughout, and it’s through this surprising consistency that Horse Feathers exceeds Califone with one of the best debuts in recent memory.

Ani DiFranco – Reprieve – Righteous Babe Records

For those familiar with Ani DiFranco’s prolific line of work – which spans over two dozen albums – her newest release Reprieve should come as no surprise. Like the rest of her work, it’s lyrical, political and eye-opening. Surprises are minimal and appear in the first few tracks of this album, which sound very much like Damien Rice’s work on O. Later on, DiFranco’s anger with a complacent society becomes increasingly apparent as her light guitar chords turn dissonant. On the album’s title track, she grabs attention by not singing at all, but rather speaking her lyrics with light cello accompaniment.But there are also those not familiar with the singer-songwriter – whose following is underground but vast nonetheless. She is well-known among these people as a feminist icon who isn’t afraid to question the problems she finds in present-day society. If a bit radical, Reprieve is overall, either a great introduction to DiFranco’s leftist thinking or a wonderful continuation to a long and impressive line of work.

Benoit Pioulard – Precis – Kranky

With an opening track that pushes, prods and distances, Precis may seem difficult to get into, but breaking through its thinly tough exterior reveals a softly shimmering gem. It’s unusual for an album swathed in such thick noise to be so welcoming, but Benoit Pioulard (alias of multi-instrumentalist songwriter Thomas Meluch), on his first album, has pieced together these elements into what can only be described as a deep, downy nest. Pioulard’s voice is comforting and vaguely foreign (he’s actually from Michigan) — like Jens Lekman without the awkward bashfulness — and his songs, gossamery electronic pastiches overlaid with acoustic guitar, are like fragile forests built on softly drifting clouds. Wrapped inside a soft cocoon of soothing sound, Precis travels daintily on the thin, dark edge between dreams and sleep.