Whether performing solo or with one of his many bands, Joe Pernice maintains a strong throughline: earnest, heartfelt songwriting enveloped by his yearning voice and incisive guitar work. Pernice, born in 1967 in Massachusetts, first attracted attention as a member of the ’90s alt-country act Scud Mountain Boys, who boasted a rustic, homespun vibe on tracks like “In a Ditch”. In the late ’90s, Pernice polished this vision by forming the lusher-sounding Pernice Brothers—a troupe who often incorporated sweeping strings (the baroque-sounding “Our Time Has Passed”), along with piano and electric guitars. On highlights such as the plush “The Weakest Shade of Blue”, the band employ Beach Boys-esque harmonies to lovely effect.