From our neighbors to the north who brought us The Shins and The Decemberists, Portland's The Dimes have written their sophomore album entirely about historical happenings in city of Boston.

History buffs and music lovers unite!

Achieving what bands such as Coldplay have set out to do in the past, these five musicians have interwoven war-time historical story-telling with their own brand of folk infused pop.

"The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry" is not unlike their first album, "The Silent Generation," (a point blank reference to the generation born during Great Depression) whose songs dealt with murder, political riots, and war.

One constant found is this album is the depiction of heroines, those who stood up for not only women's rights but human rights.

The track "Save me Clara" is, of course, about the founder of the Red Cross. Written from the perspective of a dying solider, the story is haunting as he cries out for help stating "My lungs are full of smoke and fear/The rain is mixin' with my tears." The lap steel guitar, played by Ehren Ebbage, gives this song an Americana tilt that is present throughout the record.

"Abigail Don't Be Long" named after first lady Abigail Adams employs the use of a variety of light vocal harmonies that create a catchy sort of ambiance.

In "Susan Be" and "Damrell's Fire," the musical tales of Susan B. Anthony and the Great Boston Fire, Jake Rahner sounds off rolling drum beats in short bursts that resemble a military drum roll.

Newspapers even make an appearance in "The Liberator" a song about the abolitionist Boston paper that called for the emancipation of slaves.

The Dimes' lead vocalist Johnny Clay sings out the lyrics of six other songs before ready to come to a close.

Throughout the album it's easy to hear in their sound some of the band's noted influences: The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young.

Accompanying the three aforementioned members, is electric guitarist Pierre Kaiser and bass guitarist Ryan Johnston.

Rounding out the effort is a tribute to the city itself, "Boston (Trimountaine)" in which the band guides listeners through the city "where you travel back a hundred years." They paint a picture in the mind's eye of the listener describing landscapes and landmarks where "we make our way to the harbor where they dropped 90,000 pounds of tea."

Listening to these guys makes me wish I could reverse the calendar a few months to the long days of summer so I could sit out by a pool or on a beach, shut my eyes, and merely absorb the melodic sounds.

This music doesn't scream out to be noticed, like so many bands who just try too hard, the subtleties make this a stand-out. No sophomore slump here.