Shakey Graves
The Ritz 2820 Industrial Dr, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
Last year’s Can’t Wake Up found Shakey Graves shifting further away from his one-man-band setup of acoustic guitar and a suitcase thumped by a kick pedal, instead casting his Americana-bent tunes among ambitious backdrops of lush pop grandeur. Illiterate Light pumps out dynamic indie rock swirled lightly with psychedelics, though their songwriting can’t touch the staying power of Kate Rhudy, who pairs her dazzling pipes with revealing, melancholic reflections.