Chappaquiddick Skyline: Chappaquiddick Skyline

After the dissolution of the alt-countryish Scud Mountain Boys, singer and songwriter Joe Pernice performed an unexpected about-face, forming Pernice Brothers and keeping the catchy songs while trading in his music's country influences for a sound in the classic pop tradition of the Beatles, Beach Boys, and many others. A collection of lush, melancholy music, 1998's Overcome By Happiness demonstrated a mastery of Pernice's new style. Now, between Pernice Brothers albums comes Chappaquiddick Skyline, a band and album that wouldn't seem the least bit like a side project were it the work of someone with slightly less lofty standards. That in no way suggests that Chappaquiddick Skyline isn't worthwhile in its own right. Similar in spirit and sound to Overcome By Happiness, if generally less lush, the songs on Skyline make longing and heartbreak sound lovely, whether it's the longing felt by observing others' happiness ("The Two Of You Sleep") or the heartbreak felt by an abandoned lover ("Knights Of The Night Vol. 1"). Only an acceptable cover of New Order's "Leave Me Alone" sounds like a proper leftover, the remainder of the album serving as another demonstration of what Pernice does better than most: make gorgeous, catchy pop out of aching melancholy.