CD of the Week: On Approach

Everest's sophomore album, On Approach, invokes an era when vinyl albums were an event. The band honed their laidback California sound into a tight mixture of country, psychedelic rock and folk that caught the attention of Neil Young and earned them a spot opening for him in 2008.

Joel Graves and Jason Soda's guitars are at the forefront, alternating between gentle fingerpicking and a robust echo. Although the band gained an impressive amount of critical buzz with their debut album, Ghost Notes, lead singer Russell Pollard says that the new album takes it to another level. 

“We weren't a band for very long when we made Ghost Notes. I had songs, we recorded them in just two weeks, then immediately toured,” says Pollard. “Now it’s guys who've actually struggled together and survived some tight spaces, cramped hotel rooms, some arguments and some really, really good times. There was a lot of collaboration, and we weren’t afraid to do anything.” 

Everest and Matt Costa perform at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, November 7.