City And Colour

When Dallas Green isn't fronting post-hardcore troublemakers Alexisonfire, he can be found crafting melancholic acoustic balladry with a decidedly Jeff Buckley/Nick Drake vibe. Though Green's City and Colour project has all the feel and maturity of an idea born fully formed, it actually began as a casual affair around 2004. With his limited free time, the Canadian singer and songwriter would record rough demos, eventually filtering them out to fans via the Internet. The response was more than positive. In fact, it wasn't long before he decided to release a full-length, 2005's Sometimes. The album started off as a sleeper hit of sorts but eventually went platinum in his native land. Due to Alexisonfire's hectic touring and recording schedule, Green took nearly three years to release a follow-up. Bring Me Your Love came out in 2008, and unlike the intimate Sometimes, the record is an utterly grand affair, featuring a dizzying number of guest musicians and broad instrumentation. With its mix of tender folk and near-orchestral introspection, it has been compared to the Neil Young classic Harvest. Not bad for what began as a side project.