Local bluegrass band, The Lost Pines, transports listeners to a simpler time of love stories, cherry pie, country living and hoe-downs. Since the band’s beginnings three years ago, The Lost Pines have gone from playing on South Congress street corners to earning runner up in the bluegrass category of the Austin Chronicle’s annual readers’ poll.

“Sweet Honey,” the band’s second album, is a strong showing of tight vocal harmonies and timeless bluegrass instrumentals. The album’s opening track, “Singing Voice,” implores listeners to “sing high on the mountain/sing over the choir” while no doubt tapping their feet in time with the band’s driving strings. Such optimism is repeated on many of the album’s more upbeat tracks, including “Katherine,” a song about a dancer who wears “nothing on her face but some glitter and a grin.” The Lost Pines’ lyrics are simple and catchy; the type of all-American narratives you would expect from any good bluegrass band.

While the band’s simple and upbeat tunes are enjoyable, the standout songs on “Sweet Honey” are the slower, darker tracks. “Harm’s Lovin’ Way” exemplifies the band’s soaring harmonies and potential for darker subject matter. On this track, vocalist and banjo player Christian Ward warns, “don’t close your eyes and go to sleep/you are in harm’s lovin’ way/brother, you are/you are in harm’s lovin way.” The second-to-last track on the album, “Love Is Made of Work,” is not as dark in subject matter, but it likewise displays The Lost Pines’ strengths in the form of a slower ballad. The mandolin, played by Alex Rueb, is especially strong on this track.

The album’s instrumentals tend to outshine the vocals. While the two lead vocalists, Christian Ward and Talia Bryce, are both talented, some songs on the album would have been just as good or better if they hadn’t included vocals at all. Likewise, the tracks alternate between Ward and Bryce singing lead vocals. Switching from male vocals to female vocals on every other song on the album creates an awkward flow.

“Sweet Honey” ends on a high note with the upbeat track “I’m Leavin’.” The Lost Pine’s sophomore album is not without flaws, but it had shining moments of feel-good Americana and a timeless bluegrass sound.