Yep Roc

Though the rootsy pop band The Autumn Defense is fronted by two members of Wilco (founding bassist John Stirratt and lanky guitarist Pat Sansone ), this isn’t the place to come for high-minded experimental headiness or even rough-and-tumble rock. Rather, on its fourth album, the band has far more in common with The Jayhawks than anyone else, concentrating on melodic lovelorn lyrics amid jangly acoustic guitars (the old-fashioned “Huntington Fair” ) and major-key harmonies ( “Step Easy” ). Wilco completists will find the record pleasurable, if not revelatory, but that’s kind of the point: it’s a sunny reprieve that’s an enjoyable lark, rather than Wilco’s sometimes fevered intensity.