City Of Glass

For those unfamiliar with this Santa Cruz, California-based band, it is an off-shoot of what was once the Tuttle Family Band, which included Molly Tuttle, her father Jack Tuttle, her brother Sullivan and AJ Lee.

Now, with Lee at the helm and guitarist Sullivan Tuttle on board, along with Scott Gates (also an excellent guitarist) and Jan Purat on fiddle, they’ve emerged as one of the hottest bands out of northern California.

All told, this is one nimble and gifted outfit that can sing and play just about anything. Thus, on their latest outing, the band members, with mostly original material, delve into a variety of motifs, styles, moods and nuances in search of their own distinct presence.

The title tune is a sort of metaphysical, urbane exploration that seems to be about the impermanence of nearly everything. “Bakersfield Clay,” written and sung by Scott Gates, on the other hand, is a new-age honky-tonk outing with some tasty steel guitar and fiddle solos and even some spirited yodeling.

Another high point is a soulful interpretation of “He Called Me Baby,” a Harlan Howard oldie that was once recorded by Patsy Cline and is sung here by AJ.

“Can’t Find You At All” is a mini-Tuttle Family reunion, with Molly singing and playing banjo on a song written by Jack Tuttle. Other delightful outings include the stressed-out “Sick on a Plane,” the evocative “Seaside Town” (written and sung by Sullivan) and Gates’s playful “Solicitor Man.”

Based on this confident and adventurous outing, we’ll most likely be hearing a lot more from AJ Lee and Blue Summit in times to come.