Oblio Duo + The Archers

There’s a thin line between trying and trying way too hard. Denver’s Oblio Duo, though, has nothing to worry about: William Duncan and Steven Lee Lawson seem to instinctively avoid the labored affection that makes most of Denver’s singer-songwriters sound like total crap. Their self-titled CD came out last year, and while it barely registered on this city’s hipster radar, it was one of the best local discs of 2005- a bursting at-the seams mess of melody and heartbreak that celebrated the days when Alex Chilton, Harry Nilsson, and Neil Young ruled (or at least should of ruled) the earth. Oblio Duo’s new album, The Flag, sees the twosome enlisting guests from Pee Pee, The Blue Angels, and Big Timber, as well as fleshing out their onstage lineup with a backing band called The Archers. And while a retro vibe is present, hints of Wilco and Elliott Smith place the band squarely in its own time. Oblio Duo’s songs might sound loose, unstudied, and even spontaneous, but make no mistake: their genius is not accident. Even if Duncan and Lawson themselves don’t quite know how they do it. -a.v. club (j. heller)