Autumn Defense, the side project of Wilco’s John Stirratt and Pat Sansone, evoke the warm, tight harmonies of ‘70’s AM radio with their Bread (“Make It With You”) -inflected tunes. It helps that the duo employ a range of musicians every bit as proficient on their instruments as that group of studio pros, since it’s their lush perfectionism that brings these tunes to fruition. Swelling organs and parlor-room pianos lock in perfect step with gentle rhythms that never push the songs beyond a quiet space. “Spend Your Life” recalls the piano and jazz vibe of Bryter Layter-era Nick Drake. “City Bells” sweeps in with pedal steel, cementing the lazy L.A. cowboy vibe. “We Would Never Die” capitalizes on pitch-perfect harmonies and mild orchestration that transform the tune into a mini-epic. At center, however, are simple, clear melodies delivered in voices that recall the earnest balladeers of soft-rock radio. It’s as if they’d found tunes such as “Canyon Arrow” and “Criminal” in a time capsule dated 1972 and ever so subtly updated them for 21st- century consumption.