Pairing huge vocal hooks with perfectly polished pop-rock, Jessica Long & the New Kind seem poised for much bigger stages. The Durham dynamo's pipes steal the show; Long is equally capable of floating over shimmering guitar textures in moments of ethereal beauty or serving as a powerful force behind a driving rock tune. Charlotte's Brandon Kirkley & the Firecrackers open with a glossy but rowdy take on heartland rock 'n' roll befitting the band's name, though the quartet lays the sheen on a bit too thick when it ventures into maudlin power ballads. —Spencer Griffith