With only seven songs, The Only Ones is really more an EP than an actual LP, but even so, it asserts the fact that The Milk Carton Kids are heirs apparent to Simon & Garfunkel and the other vintage duos that relied on only two voices, soft harmonies and some guitar to define their delivery. Actually, asserts may not be the appropriate word for their particular pedigree, given that their quiet, subdued style is so hushed and delicate, they’d be easily drowned out by even a marginally more intensive outfit. Happily though, they ply their reticent approach with a general lack of concern, either about being absorbed by the ether or the fact that they force their audiences to lean in to listen. Here again, there’s no concession to modern mores, what with the fact they rely only on the barest arrangements and most minimal accoutrements possible. Yet for all their tender trappings, Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale are astute entertainers, as evidenced by the wisecracks and rapport they share onstage. Five albums in, any change in direction might be a shock to the system. Still, that’s also a relief in a way; after all, there’s plenty of flash and verbosity already imbued in the pop lexicon these days. So even if certain songs, especially “I Meant Every Word I Said,” “As the Moon Starts to Rise” and “I’ll Be Gone” suggest that Paul and Art were providing input from the sidelines, it’s no matter—subtlety and sensitivity are their decidedly effective assets.