As a born’n’bred Nova Scotian and rockist I am obliged to review these fellow bluenosers, even if they’re faraway mainlanders. After their 2003 debut Wintersleep, this unnamed 2005 sophomore effort doesn’t pull a Led Zeppelin II or solo Peter Gabriel Melt naming, instead going with diminished-lowercase untitled. I guess they’re not much for product marketing focused on SEO.

Formed by members of two previous local bands Contrived (Stellarton, NS) and Kary (Yarmouth, NS), this record establishes the conjoined act as more than the sum of those parts. The debut album was predominantly focused on acoustic guitar, sounding a bit like a sparse unplugged set put out before the electric album was even recorded. This time around we get more distorted rock riffs at higher decibel levels although its still grounded with an intimate atmosphere that maintains the predecessor’s human touch.

Their brand of indie rock is anchored by drummer Loel Campbell, whose tasteful arrangements and professionalism elevates the band above their east coast peers. Lead singer Paul Murphy has a vulnerable yet authoritative voice that may be too reedy for some.

While eighth track “Listen, Listen (Listen)” has a heartbeat first half that could be taken directly from Pearl Jam’s No Code, these post-grunge explorations aren’t exactly Default Theory of a Nickelcreed mimicry. If anything, a better comparison for this tracklisting is the dichotomy of Dinosaur Jr’s fuzzy rock anthems and Sebadoh’s tender lo-fi.

The production avoids over-corrected studio perfection, purposely preserving clearly-audible guitar string noise: individual picks and strumming, stretching upon chord changes. Wintersleep’s three guitar layered approach can be an escalating-tempo pedal-laden attack (the headbanger “Danse Macabre”) or a quiet, more subtle emotional blanket (“Insomnia”).

Looping keyboards make the odd appearance (“Migration”) along with intimate acoustic passages (“People Talk”) but wordless choral singalongs are likely the key feature that makes this album feel very communal. I think the highlight is the seven-plus minute psychedelic “Nerves Normal. Breath Normal”, an album centrepiece with an extended instrumental bridge ready-made for live jamming.

And if you’re down with physical music in the real, rewind the CD’s track 01 for an elusive secret pregap song “Spring”. It’s a barebones, melancholy arrangement that works well with “People Talk” to form a suiting album bookend.