Great Lakes, Diamond Times (CD)

I'm of course biased about Great Lakes, having worked on Ways of Escape. 2006's Diamond Times feels, to me, like a particularly transitional album. The self-titled debut caught listeners' attention with its raw energy, and Ways of Escape reflects a mature and obviously darker songwriting voice. The two albums in between reflect the process of growing up and grappling with these changes. The power of unbridled youth that still poked through The Distance Between is gone here, but the songwriting is noticeably more focused. The piano really jumps out in the mixes (perhaps that's Jamey Huggins, but the liner notes aren't very clear), and there's some great guitar playing too.