I've had a bad run of getting to shows too late. Which is cool, if you like hearing the two best tunes a band can end a set with. Last night, it happened again. I slipped into Langdon St. Cafe in Montpelier and caught the tail end of a show by Kent, Ohio quartet The Speedbumps. The 'Bumps play smart, acoustic pop arranged around the cut-to-the-soul vocals of guitarist Erick Urycki and the sweet, spare textures of cellist Sam Kristoff. You could call it folk, but it's not the lightweight, puffy-cloud stuff. If you're looking for comparables, think the Frames-or Wilco in its quieter moments.

The band is playing a show tonight at Burlington's Skinny Pancake. Then they're off to Brooklyn and points south. If you're in town, they're worth the effort-even for two tunes. I've been listening to Apple Tree, their new CD, all morning. You can check them out here