Langhorne Slim, a.k.a. Langhorne, Pennsylvania’s Sean Scolnick, started out as an acoustic guitar-pluckin’, harmonica-honking bratty folk singer who used sprightly banjo and accordion to create the musical equivalent of a good old-fashioned barn party. But that sound has been left back in small-town Pennsylvania with Langhorne’s latest record, “Be Set Free,” which jets off in search of the grandeur of slick pop beauty. Produced by The Decemberists’ Chris Funk and packed with the same palate of whimsical instruments from the last Decemberists record, “Be Set Free” retains occasional glimpses of Scolnick’s folk-jamboree days, but mostly seems supercharged by the sheen of Funk’s strings, xylophone and bouncy riffs. Nevertheless, “Be Set Free” never comes across as a “sellout” record attempting to streamline Slim’s earlier quirks, just a change of pace from a musician learning how to make tight, breezy pop-rock attacks. (Andy Seifert)
July 23, Lincoln Hall, 2424 North Lincoln, (773)525-2501, 10pm. $14.
Cooling It: A Preview of Colleen Green at Cole’s Bar When Green strums power chords or chiming notes on top of her backing track, you might think you’re at Ramones karaoke night and Madonna is taking her turn.
Brutal Finesse: A Preview of King Crimson at Ravinia There have been few new compositions from King Crimson these past two decades, but the live arrangements of songs from its catalog are often strikingly different than the recorded versions.
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