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The Inner Banks

Who? The geographic Inner Banks are in North Carolina, but you’ll find the musical Inner Banks in Brooklyn, New York. The major force behind the band is the husband and wife team of composer David Gould and singer Caroline Schultz. However, their eponymous debut, out this Tuesday (Dec. 5), is teeming with the sounds of far more than just two people, as the soundscapes are littered with violins, cellos, French horns, trumpets, and Wurlitzers, among many other things.

What’s the Deal? The musical pastiche of The Inner Banks is an exercise in euphony, with each disparate sound complementing the piece as a whole. Epics from anthills, each track is grand in scope yet completely unassuming, a piece of a soundtrack that never swells but always delivers. The vocals tread lightly here, which is good, because the aural environments need enough humanity to remind the listener of the worldliness of the sounds, but not so much as to overcomplicate the beauty.

Fun Fact: Gould is the former leader and banjo-player for the Bootleg Remedy, an Americana band that specialized in synthesizing old-timey music with modernity. So there you have it: Gould has spent his life making old music new again, and now churns out tiny little musical meditations. Also, he makes ringtones. Or someone makes ringtones of Inner Banks songs, according to the band’s website, which just seems wonderful and wildly improbable. If it’s available, we recommend lush album opener “Electricity” to freak out the guy beside you whose phone blares Nickelback every time it rings. JEFFREY PARKER

Now Hear This: Inner Banks – “Anthem” DOWNLOAD MP3

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On the Web: theinnerbanks.net