Lofty Pillars

With the Lofty Pillars, Boxhead Ensemble's Michael Krassner has found an outlet for what he calls folk music. Krassner's folk doesn't include Seeger or Baez, though, but instead the pop and rock music his dad was playing in the house while he was growing up. When We Were Lost is a sleepy collection of powerful songs, with Krassner's voice joining that of Wil Hendricks and a great mix of instruments, including traditional instrumentation along with pedal steel, piano and strings. Most of When We Were Lost moves at the same pace and time signature, walking slowly along a cold avenue. The leadoff, "Lost," is the best keepsake; Krassner's crisp voice joins a gorgeous piano progression, like a soft Tom Waits ballad with a Supertramp slant. By the end of the album, it feels like the same song a few times, since the overall sound generally sticks within tight borders. But you'll probably be asleep by then, so it shouldn't really matter.