Juniper Tar

There’s no shortage of folk and roots bands paying tribute to a bygone era of American music; rarer are the groups that build on and truly advance America’s roots-music tradition. Among the handful doing so locally is Juniper Tar, a five-piece ensemble that drapes its songs in gorgeous three-part harmonies and shimmering, interlocking guitars that build to redemptive payoffs. This isn’t country music in any traditional sensethe twang is more implied than overtbut rather a bold continuation of the groundwork left by songwriters like Gram Parsons and Neil Young.