On their third album, 2016's Signs of Light, Seattle natives the Head and the Heart have taken the leap from melodic indie folk with Americana tendencies into full-blown radio-friendly pop. Signed to a major label (Warner Bros.) for the first time and working with producer Jay Joyce (who had previously been at the controls for albums by Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, and Keith Urban), the Head and the Heart have added a new level of polish to their sound, and stripped back some of the more rustic aspects of their music. The group's vocal harmonies have always been strong, and for this album, the band has punched them up and given them a bigger place in the arrangements, as Joyce has given them an exacting electronic shine. And while acoustic instruments dominated the Head and the Heart's early recordings, Signs of Light is awash in keyboards and samples, shifting the group's musical personality into a new and different direction. From a songwriting perspective, Signs of Light isn't so much different than what the Head and the Heart have offered us before, and the soul of these songs (and this band) is still there despite the changes. ~ Mark Deming

• Genre: Pop
• RSD Date: n/a
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 09/09/2016