Amid all the recent celebrations of Sub Pop's 20th anniversary, pundits have naturally been talking a lot of smack about the labels's grunge past, but its folkier present and future are equally interesting. Just as the likes of Iron & Wine and Fleet Foxes have offered kinder, gentler, new Sub Pop directions, so the similarly acoustic-oriented Daniel Martin Moore's forthcoming debut points toward more rootsy balladeering in the future. Hell, the label is even going so far as to come right out and call Stray Age, due out on October 7, "a folk album." No longer need acoustic guitar-wielding troubadours linger in the shadows in the brave new world where Banhart and Oberst generate as much buzz as, well, if not Cobain and Vedder, at least Tad and Screaming Trees. Moore's hushed vocals and introspective style are complemented by guests Petra Haden and Jessica Hoop, and fine-tuned by producer Joe Chicarella, who also oversaw the label's last Shins album.
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