Clogs

Add Date: March 9

Artist: Clogs

Album: The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton

Label: Brassland

Genre: Folk, orchestral pop, classical

Comments: Of all the things that make The National one of the best rock bands around these days, the orchestral flourishes that weave their way through more traditional rock structures must be near the top of the list. Those are the doings of Padma Newsome, who isn't technically in the band--though, in addition to collaborating, he occasionally tours with them. Clogs is the decade-old project of Newsome, Bryce Dessner (who, technically, is in The National), Rachael Elliott and Thomas Kozumplik. These four musicians, all with a classical background, make gorgeously orchestrated pop, and this is the latest in a string of fine releases.

On The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton, the band enlists the help of My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden, who also has classical training, along with National frontman Matt Berninger, and some fellow named Sufjan Stevens, who provide guest vocals on several tracks. I'm also quite fond of the instrumental numbers like "I Used to Do" and "To Hugo," but check out Worden on "On the Edge" and "Adages of Cleansing," Berninger on "Last Song," and Stevens on "We Were Here."