St. Paul Pioneer Press - Ashtray Hearts Are 'Perfect'

Speaking of potential year-end list makers, the Ashtray Hearts' sophomore disc, "Perfect Halves," is another winner.

Recorded at the Sacred Heart Studios in Duluth — the brownstone cathedral that has been home to Low, Haley Bonar and Bellwether, among many others — the album sounds warm, spacious and almost shockingly intimate. Plenty of major labels and big producers spend lots of money striving, and often failing, to capture a similar ambiance.

"Perfect Halves" is highly recommended to fans of Mojave 3 and Mark Olson-era Jayhawks. The band's CD-release party is set for Saturday at the Turf Club, although this is exactly the sort of disc that deserves to find its way into the homes of those who don't make it to late-night rock shows anymore.