This strong gathering of relatively young locals gathers around the sacred hook: Missy Thangs' Soft Company, for instance, are bounding and intricate, but her anxious and insistent melodies are unforgettable little moments of rapture. Luego, though, combines several strains of classic rock into a weird effervescence, where stories of travel and love and aging fall against sounds and structures that mix the Byrds and Beatles with indie rock interests. Meanwhile, Sam Logan has spent time in The Huguenots, a band that's occasionally worn its Merseybeat revivalism like a starched collar that's too tight. Supported by an outstanding and experienced cast in Lilac Shadows, though, he feels at once more relaxed and assertive, adding welcome murk to perfectly woozy melodies..—Grayson Currin