Carbon Leaf

"I'll love you more than I'll ever let on/That's a fault of mine I'm working on," sings Barry Privett in the engaging title track of Carbon Leaf's Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat. The Virginia quintet has a sneaky smoothness, with tight harmonies and sturdy melodies that don't bloom until repeated exposure. Though its generally quiet songs often begin as acoustic numbers before being fully fleshed out, the band could stand to toss out a few clever lines and add some salt to an otherwise steady production of sugar. But on the galloping "The Girl and Her Horse," Carbon Leaf displays the good sense not to get too upset over the bond between a woman and her four-legged friend.