Monterey

After extensive touring since the band's formation led to on-the-road songwriting habits, as well as even more refined performance chops, neo-traditional folk duo the Milk Carton Kids decided to record songs for their third LP in live performance at empty venues (pre-show) while on tour in 2014. In the end, recordings from four venues in the U.S. and Canada made over six days are represented on Monterey, including six tracks at Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Not only do the spaces' natural reverb and the live aspect add warmth to the duo's nearly flawless guitar work and harmonizing (that it's live may actually go unnoticed by many listeners, at least consciously), but it ties into the thematic role travel plays on an album about places, people, and country. - AllMusic