Angus & Julia Stone - Angus & Julia Stone (2 LP)

Australian sibling folk-rock duo Angus & Julia Stone broke big with their 2010 sophomore album, Down the Way. The album, which debuted at number one in Australia, took home five ARIA music awards, including Album of the Year. On the heels of their success, the famously shy duo began work on a follow-up, but eventually shelved the idea in favor of taking some time off to pursue solo work. However, coaxed back into the studio by super-producer Rick Rubin, the Stone siblings eventually returned to their ruminative, melodic, and often melancholy collaborations with 2014's Angus & Julia Stone. In many ways, what you see is pretty much what you get from the Stones, with their shaggy hair and hippie-chic clothes matching their penchant for acoustic introspection. Indeed, there aren't too many surprises here, with the siblings sticking to their formula: intimate, folky songs with poignant lyrics that usually bend toward the darker, sadder aspects of life. What commands your attention,