When I first listened to this band, my first though was that they sounded a LOT like Relient K. And, come to find out, it was for good reason, as their latest album was produced by Mark Lee Townsend. Townsend has produced nearly all of Relient K’s material, along with being credited to producing The O.C. Supertones and The Wedding.

Even though they come from the (great?) state of Arkansas, Deas Vail is straightforward indie rock band with a southern California slant. Andy Moore’s guitar work reminds me of bands like Phantom Planet, or even Chris Walla’s guitar work on a older Death Cab For Cutie album.

Vocally, Wes Blaylock doesn’t flirt with falsetto like most front men. He takes it out to a seedy dive bar and then on the way home, he has his way with it. That being said, it would be remiss of me to not mention the keyboards/synth work of Wes’s better half, Laura Blaylock, or the rhythm section comprised of drummer Kelsey Harelson and bassist Justin Froning.

Deas Vail is on an upward momentum, touring with acts like Mae and Owl City over the next few months (and probably coming somewhere near you). You can find the latest album, Birds & Cages, on AmazonMP3, and it’s available starting today.