Throwing around the name of this band has raised many questions—is it someone’s grandmother? A type of grizzly bear? Could it be an easy to prepare dessert you cook in a Dutch oven? So many possibilities! Most often though, when I’m asked what I’m listening to this week, my response has been met with blank stares. Maybe I hang around with the wrong sorts of people, but this review isn’t about that. So, let me take a moment to introduce you to an up and coming band from Athens, Georgia: Nana Grizol.

To alleviate said blank stares, I usually follow up the band name with the fact that two of the members hail from Neutral Milk Hotel. That usually elicits a bit more interest. The heart of this little band stems from the powerful and scruffy vocals of Theo Hilton. Many reviews compare him to Conor Oberst and the band’s sound to that of Bright Eyes and Okkervil River. Yes, yes, and yes on all accounts. Yet, sometimes more and sometimes less. The lyrics can hit you deeper than any of the aforementioned musicians, though the sound of Nana Grizol can still occasionally sound hollow and rough around the edges. Some songs on the group's latest album, Ruth, seem to max out their potential; others, well, you get the impression that this band has a way to go before they tap into their greatness.

Tapping into that greatness is coming line by lyrical line. I don’t know if I’ve heard anyone speak and sing a song at the same time like Theo Hilton. His naturalness as a performer makes you think this man speaks in poetic rhyme all the time, without even trying. You just know this guy’s vocabulary would beat yours at Scrabble and he’d do so without breaking a sweat.

The first track, “Cynicism,” is the best song the album offers. Opening with a sweet guitar that is reminiscent of Buddy Holly’s “Dearest,” the song provides a clear sense of Hilton’s unique pronunciation and sound. His lyrics also reveal his poetic heart: “And I never learned a lesson looking at my own reflection / But sometimes it seems useful / So I loosen my heart strings in high hopes of starting to find something truthful / Cynicism isn't wisdom / It's a lazy way to say that you’ve been burned.” This little grouping of words just might be the highlight of your day.

“Blackbox” is another song that’s got a simple beat and tilts a slight wave off-key. It shines with a lovely cohesiveness and great lyrics about a life lived larger than imagined. It’s got a steady guitar and drum, highlighted by some brass that makes you think of a hollow version of Okkervil River’s “Unless It Kicks.”

“Atoms” has the greatest line of alliteration that my music-loving ears have heard all winter: “The sun and sky and sunset well it’s such a stunning sight / You can sleep safely and soundly and you are loved.” The song is worth it just to hear Theo Hilton’s voice say that line in a way that sways you as realistically as if you were actually laying in a hammock.

The lyrics are hopeful and full of things you’d want to cross-stitch on pillows or print on t-shirts or update your Facebook status with (um, yeah, already guilty of that). Nana Grizol’s sound has a vacant, tinny quality, but it grows on you. It’s not overly manipulated and sounds much the same in person as it does in studio, and that’s something to be admired in our overly-technological world.

Track List:
1. Cynicism
2. Galaxies
3. Blackbox
4. Atoms
5. Gave On
6. Grady and Dubose
7. From Here
8. Alice and Gertrude
9. Arthur Hall
10. For Things That Haven't Come Yet
11. Sands