Silver JewsAmerican Water Vinyl LP

Silver Jews’ third album, American Water, was recorded at the Rare Book Room in Brooklyn and released on Drag City in 1998, mixing indie rock with country rock. David Berman’s songwriting turns warmer and more melodic here, making ordinary observations feel profound or a little sinister, while Stephen Malkmus adds playful, virtuosic guitar and shares lead vocals on Federal Dust and Blue Arrangements. Opening with Random Rules, it was later ranked 21st on Pitchfork’s list of the 150 best albums of the 1990s.