One of the finer acts to break out in 2009, The Low Anthem offers an intriguing combination of folk and Americana, creating a blend of music that is stunningly beautiful.

The Rhode Island-based trio was formed in 2006 by Ben Knox Miller and Jeff Prystowsky after they attended Brown University. After adding Jocie Adams a year later, The Low Anthem began to round out its sound, as it released its debut album What the Crow Brings in 2007. Coming off its 2009 sophomore release Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, The Low Anthem is currently on tour with Blind Pilot, and made an appearance Wednesday night at The Earl.

The band showcased its serene brilliance throughout its set, opening with three powerful displays off its latest album, including the Paul Simon-influenced “Cage the Songbird,” the peacefully reflective “To Ohio” and the majestically melancholic “Charlie Darwin.” In each of these songs, the band’s masterful vocals and three-part harmonies mark The Low Anthem as this year’s version of Fleet Foxes.

Yet the band is more than just the sum of its members’ voices, as their raw energy on songs like dirty-blues “Horizon is a Beltway” reveals another equally impressive side to the band.

The Wheel caught up with Miller and Prystowsky after their set at The Earl, and during the conversation, it became clear that the band’s desire to expand sonically remains a major focus of The Low Anthem’s work.

“I think that the way we arrange is what fits the song,” Prystowsky said. “It’s the idea behind the song, what’s the range, what makes sense and we just keep it open because there’s a lot of music that we like that we listen to, and it all just comes on Darwin as it fits.”

One of the more impressive aspects of The Low Anthem is the ease with which they fuse together their multi-instrumental pieces. The trio used 32 different instruments in the recording of Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, 16 of which they regularly incorporate into their live performances.

“We’re very interested in musical textures, and we’ll have very abstract jam sessions, where we try different sounds on top of each other, and get excited about it,” Miller said. “And we’re not really good at all these crazy instruments, but I think it means something that we dragged them out to the gig every night. We have six instruments per person that we carry.”

Looking forward to next year, The Low Anthem looks to further expand on this year’s success, as the band will embark on its first-ever U.S. headlining tour. In addition, the trio is in the process of creating the follow-up to Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, which is expected to be released some time next fall.

Along with a new album, a new member will be added to The Low Anthem, one who brings even more instruments to the band’s repertoire, including banjo, mandolin and accordion.

If the group continues like this, it will not be long before The Low Anthem stands among the finest modern folk has to offer.

— Contact Max Blau.