Stars and Satellites

Stars and Satellites, the sixth studio album from Duluth, Minnesota-based indie folk outfit Trampled by Turtles, is imbued with the kind of reserved blue-collar authenticity that stems from dollar draft specials, chapped faces, and countless icy van rides home from gigs. Like their Michigan counterparts Frontier Ruckus, Trampled by Turtles use the rich traditions of country, folk, and bluegrass as a foundation to explore modern problems, both big and small. Whether it's windswept balladry ("Midnight on the Interstate," "The Calm and the Crying Wind") or furious picking ("Risk," "Walt Whitman"), Stars and Satellites manages to find that elusive balance between workmanlike precision and 3:00 a.m. vulnerability. ~ James Christopher Monger