@slaw, The Thorns album is SO fine! Hard to miss with three good songwriters ;-) . I know Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge are huge Brian Wilson fans (I’m less familiar with Shawn Mullins), which may explain the advanced chord structures of the songs (much more sophisticated than those of Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, which are rather pedestrian), the superb melodies, and of course the excellent vocal harmonies. Good recorded sound quality, plus the drumming of Jim Keltner, always a plus.
Is the album available on LP? I have the CD.