A Hawk and a Hacksaw

While a lot of globally conscious music may have crossover appeal, it's hard to imagine A Hawk and a Hacksaw's Délivrance hitting the sweet spot with the pop rock set. Despite the duo boasting former Neutral Milk Hotel drummer and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Barnes, AHAAH's fourth album proper is strictly for those in love with the sounds of the Old World, specifically those of Eastern Europe. Recorded in Budapest, the record features Barnes and violinist Heather Trost indulging their passion for Roma exotica, tapping Hungarian specialists such as trumpeter Ferenc Kovács and cimbalom virtuoso Kálmán Balogh along the way. For followers of AHAAH, this will come as no surprise, though the greater emphasis on foot-stomping merriment and glee does set Délivrance apart from much of the duo's older work. If those Beirut records were a bit too "traditional" for you, you may want to sidestep this bit of musical tourism.