It takes three songs to find the heartbeat of Two Step Silhouette. The Civil War-era fiddle ballad "Elzic's Farewell" is a gorgeous instrumental piece that stands out as the first original moment on the release—despite being a cover.

Where "Elzic" is upbeat, complex and layered with harmony, tracks like "My Dear Odessa" feel like bluegrass paint-by-numbers. This divide exists throughout, from the longing "Love You Can't Shake" to the repetitive "Heaven's Own." "Open Your Eyes When You Sing" features the local five-piece at its strongest, with a stripped-down sound that trades the whirlwind of finger-picking for gentle harmonies.

There are two distinct halves to The Corduroy Road: the half that pushes the envelope and knows when to let a certain sound or instrument shine, and the half that seems determined to write filler songs void of personal connection.

Still, despite the album's faults, it's unfair to poke and prod too much. For every song that seems shallow or half-hearted, there are two better than most everything else around.