Folk’s not dead. Defend folk. If such boldfaced stickers arose similar to those stuccoed across pop-punk’s weighted walls, then Chuck Ragan would be the Banksy behind it all, and Brian Fallon the lookout buddy. Their cleverly drafted communication blueprint? Say hello to “Meet You In The Middle,” an acoustic number á la two tin cans and a string. The fittingly hollow production gives the track a reverberated touch. Ragan and Fallon overlap raspy bleeding hearts with an intoxicating vocal symmetry: “Tell me what you want, I’m all ears// I’ll give you all I got, blood sweat and tears,” sugared up by one tune happy fiddle on a melody manhunt. Frontmen for Hot Water Music and Gaslight Anthem respectively, the soulful duo create a love-spun merry-go-round that takes a carefree whirlabout. Heel clickers and toe tappers will get over their pish-posh affairs to meet the two exactly where and how they’re needed: halfway and satisfied.

★★★★☆

*This review was composed by Dre Okorley