Give Conor Oberst one part gravitas and two parts humility and he'd resemble this Rhode Island songman. On "Ash Wednesday," attic instrumentation envelops Perkins and his guitar, and the musician proves as thoughtful as he is doggedly miserable.
Channeling as much of The Band as current-day songsmiths like Hayden, Sufjan and Scott Ian do (one of those may or may not be true), Elvis Perkins' "Ash Wednesday" has already landed on many critics' top 10 lists for 2006. But, we're giving the full XL treatment right after the kid jumps off tour with My Morning Jacket and Clap Your Hands. This album should warm us all up during those darkest of winter days.