Megaphones, magic acts, Depression-era outfits, a monikered suitcase and, yes, a paper moon, much of it in glorious sepia tone: The packaging of Paper Moon Shiners’ second album oozes nostalgia. So much so that guitarist Frank Meyer and singer Elena Antinelli cross over from impressive to annoying. The winking “Cap Gun Dory” and oompahed “Dandy Cat” devolve from clever novelties to casual irritants. Meyer’s mannered singing grates, but the blues-based writing suits his in-the-pocket resonator picking. Antinelli generally waxes soulful and the cast (John Hagen, Richard Bowden, Danny Levin) boggles. “Something Wicked” and “Come Hither Shore” showcase PMS at its best, teasing a more stirring album beneath these Illusions of Composure.

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This article appears in August 24 • 2018.

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Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.