Boston based new-traditionalist "string band" Joy Kills Sorrow bridges contemporary folk with a diverse pallet of music influences on their sophomore February 23 album Darkness Sure Becomes This City (Signature Sounds). Since their critically acclaimed debut in 2007, the "Yankee" Americana quintet has gone through some personnel changes, most notably the addition of Canadian folkie Emma Beaton as lead vocalist following the departure of promising solo artist Heather Masse. What hasn't changed is the quality of Joy Kills Sorrow's acoustic Americana music. A fascinating hybrid of bluegrass, folk and a touch of Celtic, Darkness boasts exceptional playing, memorable songs and an attitude bent on mixing things up in unexpected ways.

Guitar, mandolin, banjo and double bass form the instrumental foundation for songs such as the sweetly turned out "You Will Change Me" and delicately layered "Kill My Sorrow", proof that a percussionless outfit such as this can still make things move rhythmically. Minus the southern twang that often accompanies this style of music and with Joy Kills Sorrow's embrace of modern folk song structures, the new project plays out almost like a modern, soft-spoken indie pop band playing traditional bluegrass instruments instead of plugging in. In many respects, you don't get much more "alternative" than this. Recommended.

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Joy Kills Sorrow - "Kill My Sorrow" (from the album Darkness Sure Becomes This City)

Joy Kills Sorrow - "Books" (from the album Darkness Sure Becomes This City)