Music Forecast 4.2–4.8: Nora Jane Struthers, Shovels & Rope, Father John Misty, and more

Father John Misty
It’s only just April, but already Father John Misty — born Joshua Tillman — has had an epic year. His I Love You, Honeybear merits all the praise it has earned since its February release, its songs complex and twisting, its music’s turmoil and gloom wrapped in lush, warm chords. Yet for all the album’s popular success, Tillman’s songs don’t seem as mainstream as his easy-breezy, folk-rock arrangements suggest (see “Bored in the USA,” “Holy Shit” and, especially, “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment”). It’s as though he has sprouted like a wildflower in a well-manicured garden, with the will to blend in just enough to get by. This show is sold out, and for good reason.

Tuesday, April 7, the Granada (1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence,
785-842-1390)

Nora Jane Struthers
In February, the infinitely likable Nora Jane Struthers released Wake, on which the Tennessee singer-songwriter sounds dead set on doing things her own way. The new tracks find Struthers integrating bold electric-guitar chords with the bluegrass sounds that her fans hold dear. Her lyrics balance the autobiographical with a healthy dose of wit: She cheerfully observes, on “Let Go,” the lead single, that it’s a fine line between watered-down vodka and vodka in a water glass. This is a brand-new side of Struthers, a far cry from the crowd-pleasing, predictable folk that she was churning out scarcely a year ago. If this is what letting go sounds like, we’ll take it.

Thursday, April 2, Knuckleheads Saloon (2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456)

Shovels & Rope
The voices of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst go together like whiskey and a shot glass. They are the modern equivalent of Johnny Cash and June Carter, except that Trent’s tone is a little more dulcet, and Hearst has a lot more in common with Stevie Nicks. The husband-wife duo is still touring on last year’s excellent Swimmin’ Time, but even that rambling blues-and-folk album doesn’t quite capture the fervor of a live Shovels & Rope show. Don’t miss the South Carolina band Thursday at the Bottleneck.

Saturday, April 4, the Bottleneck (737 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785-841-5483)

Oh Honey
Danielle Bouchard has a voice designed for pop songs. It’s breathy and childlike but delivers plenty of volume. She and fellow singer-songwriter Mitchy Collins give Oh Honey’s sound a nearly Disney Channel sweetness. Collins would, perhaps, be more comfortable with more folk-oriented songs, with a little grit to them — that’s what his voice seems designed for — but without him, Oh Honey would have little substance. Last fall, this duo — which tours as a four-piece — was a favorite of buzz blogs. Friday at RecordBar, determine if you can hear what the Internet thought it heard.

Friday, April 3, RecordBar (1020 Westport Road, 816-753-5207)

Swearing at Motorists
Last year marked the triumphant return of Dayton, Ohio, two-piece Swearing at Motorists, with the well-titled While Laughing, the Joker Tells the Truth. That album ends an eight-year hiatus, during which founder and lead singer Dave Doughman apparently lost none of his off-kilter charm. The songs on While Laughing maintain the two-man group’s simple, semi-acoustic structure, yet the album feels massive at 17 tracks, and Doughman’s extensive labor is obvious. Half of these songs sound like contenders for best-ever last-call anthem — see “17th Last Cigarette (Thinkin’ About Drinkin’)” — and the other half are for what you do after you leave the bar alone and return to your dark room for some full-body sobbing (“The Darkest September”). Here’s hoping that Swearing at Motorists’ Sunday-night show at the Riot Room emphasizes the former.
Sunday, April 5, the Riot Room (4048 Broadway, 816-442-8179)