Bill and JJ Passalacqua have that old-time duet thing going. One introduces, the song, another answers and they carry on until in the end they kiss (or, the audio equivalent, anyway). But this is folk music through-and-through, which makes more even more intriguing listening.

LoveSeat Our Way (Reckless Pedestrian)

Bill plays guitar, and some friends join in on harp, fiddle and more, but the sound stays simple and rough-hewn. Most of the songs are about the b-side of life, after the dreams and passion have died but, goddamnit, life's still pretty good anyway.

The conceit is simple, the songs roll past with an easy kick, and every once in a while I wondered why more people don't make music like this. The Passalacquas have made an album that sounds so natural that anyone could have made it. The level of difficulty in that, of course, is astronomical.

Apparently, this is their first album. I don't know what they've been doing before this, but this album sounds like a tenth rather than a debut. LoveSeat keeps things light, but underneath that pleasant facade lurk the realities of life. This one's worth a double on a sweaty summer night.

Jon Worley