Handsome Family

Montreal roots collective Sackville returns with this third release, and its substance belies its under 25-minute running time. Paced just a notch above Low, and populated with dusty steel guitar and haunting, wailing violin, Sackville has evolved from its earlier, more traditionally country sounds to this beautiful merge of Calexico and Dirty Three, especially on the epic “Four Alarm Fire.” Gabe Levine (ex-Nerdy Girl) is the driving force behind the project, but he brings along a number of Montreal indie stalwarts, including Sofa’s Ian Ilavsky and Pest 5000’s Gen Heistek on violin. The Principles of Science is an exciting collection, chock-a-block with subtly and life. Sackville’s contribution to a split seven-inch on Mag Wheel is a peppier, more straightforwardly country effort that’s perfectly competent, but doesn’t hold interest. Sadder, though, is Handsome Family’s disturbing “My Beautiful Bride,” and not just because of cheesy echoey “gone to heaven” vocals. Haven’t we had enough “loved her too much, so I had to kill her” songs?