Formed in 2001 as a solo vehicle for Madison, WI native Krist Krueger, moody Portland, OR-based indie rock outfit Southerly, who are often compared to the National and Tindersticks, specialize in the kind of brooding, ornate, and orchestral pop that began to blanket the rocky Pacific Northwest in the mid-2000s. Like fellow lush West Coast collectives the Decemberists and Fleet Foxes, Southerly’s approach to pop music is often conceptual, grandiose, and drenched in atmosphere. Released in 2004, the intimate Best Dressed and Expressionless dealt with the deaths of close friends and family members, while 2007’s Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist featured a full band, orchestra, and horn arrangements. The similarly themed Champion of the Noisy Negativists was released in 2010. ~ James Christopher Monger