Scented ever so slightly with eau de Toad the Wet Sprocket and smelling more than a little like the Gin Blossoms, Between Two Lions hum and harmonize their way through their latest release, Put This City on my Shoulders. It’s a much more thoughtful album than their self-titled debut two years ago, dealing with the challenges and rewards of returning to small town life after your big city adventures.

How you gonna keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Par-ee? When Brent Engle sings “Save me a place next to the plots of my mother and father, and lay me gently to sleep in this town,” he’s both mourning and celebrating his roots. The band uses vintage instruments and rough guitar sounds to generate a nostalgic, country-flavored noise; listening, you feel like you’re standing on Main Street in Small Town, America. Ultimately, it’s that love of their tiny Indiana burg that keeps the band singing and sighing. “We’re a far cry from Nashville and miles from the west coast,” Engle sings, “but I’ve got a mouth full of magic.” He certainly does.

Favorite Track: Track 11, “A mouth full of magic”