Peter Wolf Crier

Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and connected to Bon Iver (both in scene and in labeldom) enough to incite an eyebrow raise, Peter Wolf Crier might be one of the most overlooked newcomers of 2010. The duo (made up of songwriters Peter Pisano and Brian Moen) may be milking the vintage-folk feel that’s propelled acts like Fleet Foxes (see the bombastic breakdown of “For Now”) and Monsters of Folk (most of Inter-Be is soaked in M. Ward-style deliveries), but we’re not ones to complain—especially when it’s being done this well. The tambourine and vintage drum sounds on “You’re So High” are not only authentic sounding; they’re earnest and resonating. “Hard as Nails” benefits from its quiet, Iver-esque backup wails, but it’s the mix of quiet strumming, chugging beats, and unedited tape noise that ultimately make the song work, both as a decent toe-tapper and an unassumingly beautiful collage of sounds. Peter Wolf Crier play Muddy Waters Café this Saturday, January 22, at 8 p.m.