Jeremy Messersmith's first full-length release, The Alcatraz Kid (Princess Records, 2006) was marked by a wide-eyed clarity and sweet, straightforward musicianship that resulted in critical acclaim and a growing live following. Songs like "Novocain" and "Beautiful Children" garnered local radio play and the attention of Minneapolis stalwart and Grammy Winner Dan Wilson (member of Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic and producer of The Dixie Chicks, Mike Doughty) who offered to produce Jeremy's next disc.

The resulting collaboration is The Silver City. Part homage to the twinkling pop vistas of The Beach Boys and the sixties, part incisive take on the hopes that push us to the everyday commute, The Silver City pushes Messersmith's precise lyrics conceptually and expands the scope of his sound. Although The Silver City takes its title from the Minneapolis skyline, it inhabits a universal geography, one that this man from the country refuses to take at face value. With the celebratory track "Light Rail" already in rotation and in demand on local radio, and Jeremy's cover of The Replacements' "Skyway," a concert favorite, expect The Silver City to both cement Messersmith's reputation as a musician and songwriter locally, and to launch him nationally as he tours this fall. -Carl Swanson