This Minneapolis outfit's 1992 gem Hollywood Town Hall is an alt-country benchmark, but subsequent releases found them moving toward a more pop-oriented sound. Released in 2003, Rainy Day Music is a return to the rootsier folk- and country-rock approach of their earliest work. Principal songwriter Gary Louris delivers some of his most rewarding compositions, filled with delightful harmonies, delicate acoustic strumming, and jangling electric guitars. The pop sensibility is still quite pronounced, however, and the atmosphere here is mostly bright and welcoming, especially on chiming Louris nuggets like "Stumbling Through the Dark" (co-written with Matthew Sweet), "Tailspin," "Save It for Rainy Day," and "Angelyne." For the most part, Rainy Day Music eschews the grittiness and experimentation of its predecessors, calling to mind artists like Crosby, Stills, and Nash more so than, say, Buffalo Springfield.