Etta

"Raise your voice in the night, and sing like you might not get the chance again" exhort Etta on "Burn it in September," the title track of their first EP. And that's just what they do, in surprising and infectious ways.

Imagine a lounge singer walking in on Rimsky-Korsakov, when suddenly a circus appeared. And then a punk concert. Imagine Ernest Tubb stopped by, too. Imagine it somehow delighted the ears. That's "Season of the Leaves."

And the twists and turns just keep coming, from the country-reggae stylings of "Let Me Take Your Mind Off It" (complete with some lyrical flow about George Harrison, naturally), to the Byrds-esque "Fireflies", the old-timey "Broke Down" and the rollicking anthem "Goodnight".

Hank Waite, formerly the frontman of Seattle's Americana darlings the Milkmashers, provides the lyrical freight train that connects these musical destinations, and along the way Etta weaves soundscapes so vivid and engaging, you can't help but get out of your seat and dance. -- and yes, raise your voice and sing.