Viking Moses/Spencer Kingman

If there were ever two delicate pop singer-songwriters that were meant for each other in a single album, it’s got to be these two. While Viking Moses mumbles along earnestly with a somewhat gravely baritone and slowly strums his songs about a delightful girl named Emma and various U.S. states, Spencer Kingman goes for his falsetto, some fast picking and slightly disturbing song titles like "Bethlehem-Hell Express” and "Al Jazeera.” Both belong to the same genre, and both seem to be staunchly insular in their song content, but yet it is in their juxtaposition that each brings out the best in each other. Moses’ sombre "Wet Stones At Both My Sides” gets added weight compared to Kingman’s sunny, Appalachian freak folk sounds of "Vietnam Malaria Nostalgia” and, oppositely, Kingman’s songs feel fresh and light compared to Moses’ heavy hand. Taken on their own, these albums might have been lost among the glut of eccentric men and their guitars, but together they provide delightful counterpoints and make for both a serious, yet relaxing listen.