The Year of Magical Drinking (Bonus Track Version)

Following the demise of the Broken West in 2009, Ross Flournoy and Brian Whelan moved on to form Apex Manor a year later, recruiting Adam Vine and Andy Creighton in the process. Since Flournoy is still the main songwriter there are some similarities between the two bands, yet Apex Manor sounds like a natural progression for Flournoy’s melding of melodic power-pop and roots rock. These 10 catchy and well-crafted tunes are delivered with style and grace by a band that has clearly gelled. Featuring a good mix of grit and polish, the songs are loose and jangly (“Southern Decline,” “Under the Gun,” “Coming To”), rollicking (“Teenage Blood”), winsome (“My My Mind,” “Holy Roller”), and gauzy and textured (“Burn Me Alive”). There’s an undercurrent of angst in the lyrics and overall sound, yet nothing heavy enough to suppress the charming, hook-filled goodness at the heart of the album.