Amy Ray and Emily Saliers grew out of the same fertile southern music scene that birthed acts like R.E.M. and the B-52s. But instead of reinventing college rock, the duo brought a freshness to the folk scene thanks to their interwoven harmonies and striking melodies. Poseidon and the Bitter Bug expresses a freedom and sense of renewed inspiration and approach that shows just how far the Girls have evolved while still anchoring the pieces with their intertwined vocals. "Sugar Tongue" is like a blissful, soft-rock lullaby while "Ghost of the Gang" and "Driver Education" are both full-bore, jangling rockers. A few tracks like "I'll Change" and "Digging for Your Dream" allow the duo to work their dual vocal magic over acoustic guitars and are sure to satiate the purists. Overall, Poseidon is a hard break from their folk-rock that gives you an idea of what Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are capable of. The deluxe version contains an entire bonus album of the songs of Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, performed acoustically.