From the first refrain of the first song by Amber Dust, you know this is going to be a mellow affair. The trio, now a duo, is well steeped in the alt,country scene but also exhibits a smooth folksy style that will repeal to those who like their alt. a little less country. Their first full album titled Without Windows is a calming collection of well crafted songs in the folk / pop region. “Sunset Comes” and “From The Balcony” are just two of the excellent songs on the album. “Steady as a Leaf” is a nice example of musical storytelling. Throughout the album, Mike Harvey’s keyboards acts as a reliable glue to the guitar and drums of Jesse Nickerson and Shayne Greene.

In the second album, Good Things/Bad Timing, the trio become a duo with the departure of Taylor. The sound is decidedly more alt.country partially due to the addition of slide pedal guitar on a number of the tracks. The songwriting is still excellent and the boys seem to have found a stable and slightly more upbeat sound that I think is an asset. “The Boat” and “Struck” sounds a little 70s country/rock a la Eagles yet there is a mellow and individual style that is all Amber Dust. The album ends with “An Unfamilar House” which is a good bittersweet ending to this fine effort.

The two albums are availble from the band’s web site in 128kbps MP3

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