Inter-Be

iTunes Review

The Minneapolis duo Peter Wolf Crier aren’t breaking any new ground on their debut, Inter-Be, but rather work in the same aural palette as current indie-folk and pop bands like Bon Iver and Woods. It’s still surprising how the guitar/drum/keyboard triumvirate can paint sound in so many colors, and Peter Wolf Crier seem to live by that idea: Brian Moen puts his drumsticks and brushes to work in unusual ways, Peter Pisano’s guitars are finger-picked, strummed and thrummed (they even rattle like train tracks on “Hard As Nails”). Keyboards and pianos create both gritty atmospheric washes and sparkling rivers of light, and the ubiquitous blanket of reverb is loosely wrapped around Inter-Be, keeping it snug and soft. A hint of country blues permeates “You’re So High,” and “Down Down Down” and “Untitled 101” are steeped in bittersweet melancholy.  “Crutch and Cane” — the closest thing to true “pop” here — has infectious, finger-snapping swagger and is a delight.