And this is the place where we’re going to explain that we’ve reviewed every new local release we could get our hands on — that’s albums from local artists and releases by national artists on local labels. We’ve got a page for every review. So, to start, here are the artists in alphabetical order:Brandi Carlile, Lemolo, Joy MillsArtist: Brandi CarlileAlbum:

Bear CreekLabel: ColumbiaRelease Date: June 5Local Show(s): Nov. 23 and 24, Benaroya Hall, with the Seattle Symphony OrchestraAfter two well-received record with the biggest producers in the business — Rick Rubin and T-Bone Burnett — Carlile turned to a knob-twiddler with decidedly fewer bonafides on the other side of the board: herself. The result, Bear Creek, is the best album of the Ravensdale-born artist’s career. Carlile’s voice is more self-assured than it’s been in the past, and the songwriting — highlights include “A Promise to Keep” and the Dixie Chick-esque “Hard Way Home” — is as compelling as it’s ever been, straddling the strong side of the adult/country line. Band: LemoloTrack: “On Again, Off Again”Release: Out now via BandcampFull-Length:

Kaleidoscope, the band’s full-length debut, drops July 3Local Show(s): The Triple Door (June 14), Columbia City Theater (June 29 and 30)”On Again, Off Again” feels more like the trailer to the band’s debut LP than a lead single. This tease from The Kaleidoscope, one of the most anticipated local records of the year, is a clean, sparse, restrained piece of dreamy pop, sonically on par with the band’s earlier, relatively lo-fi efforts, but with the sheen and diligence of a serious studio effort, and should only add to the clamor for what the band has coming.On Again, Off Again by LemoloBand: Joy Mills Album: Trick of the EyeRelease Date: Out now, via joymills.comLocal Show(s): Conor Byrne Pub (Friday), Port Orchard’s Rendezvous Tavern (Saturday)Springing from her Americana side projects Risky Liver and The Starlings–along with a gig singing back-up vocals on Zoe Muth’s Starlight Hotel–comes alt-country singer-songwriter Joy Mills first solo release. Recorded and mixed by Conrad Uno (Fastbacks, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth) along with the Artist Support Program at Jack Straw Productions, Trick of the Eye is an easy rolling, urban country debut, right in step with the likes of Zoe Muth and Davidson Hart Kingsbery. Mills sings with a simple, unhurried cadence, with earthy tones that softly attune bassist Tom Parker’s subtle harmonies with her own. Trick of the Eye rings with such sounds, rich in lyrical imagery and twangy pedal steel. Lovely ballads like “Bound To Find You” and honky-tonking numbers like “Best Show In Town” round out the offerings and make Trick of the Eye a fitting listen for fans of Pacific Northwest alt-country from Muth to Neko Case. Trick of the Eye by Joy Mills