The Whiskey Bottles

On the Whiskey Bottles’ 2010 debut, Ain’t No Crime, the act showed that it had enough grit, twang and heartfelt roots to appeal to fans of both Southern-flavored alt-country and Midwestern Americana. There’s a whole lot more of that on Grandville, the band’s twelve-song followup. The group makes a strong entrance with the rocking alt-country opener, “Fell in Love With a Stranger,” which demonstrates just how powerful Molly Orlando’s voice can be; Orlando is equally compelling on slower cuts like “Powder and the Keg” or the poignant ballad “When Push Comes to Shove.” Meanwhile, the vocals on “Rosaline,” one of the album’s highlights, sound something like Maria McKee and X’s John Doe fronting the Jayhawks.