The San Francisco duo Two Gallants end their five-year recording drought on Tuesday with "The Bloom and the Blight."
The record, their first since reuniting last fall, comes out on the day the folk-rock pair - guitarist and lead singer Adam Stephens and drummer Tyson Vogel - play a show at Club Congress. It will be the pair's third show in a three-month tour that takes them to year's end.
The album changes the tempo for the pair, whose last album, "Two Gallants" in 2007, was admittedly less focused and a mish-mash of grungy rockers and slower singer-songwriter songs.
"It's a little bit rawer and louder sounding than in the past," Stephens said during a phone interview from California last week.
"The songs kind of came really quickly in a short period of time. It's a little different for us. We were constantly on tour in the past and we were always working on songs as we traveled and tried them out on the road. This one kind of happened mostly in the studio while we were at home."
People are also reading…
Stephens said the album "has a bit more focus. It's a bit more concise and to the point than our previous albums."
"We just kind of follow the songs and they dictate the way things go," he said. "I think that's just how the songs came out, and I think it had a lot to do with taking the time off for both of us."
Stephens and Vogel started performing professionally together in 2002, but their friendship goes back to their early childhood. They were friends from age 5 and started dabbling in music together when they were 12; they are now in their early 30s.
Their split in 2008 came after years of hard touring and recording. Stephens said the pair planned to strike out on different projects for what was to have been a short-lived split.
"We just knew we needed a little time. We both did some other stuff, played in some other bands. I put out a solo album that was a bit quieter and more acoustic based," he said.
It was during a tour in November 2010 in support of that album that Stephens was involved in a devastating car accident. He dislocated his shoulder and was sidelined for six months.
The injury delayed the Two Gallants' reunion. Stephens had to undergo intensive physical therapy. As soon as he could hold his guitar and play it, he and Vogel got back together.
"And then we just booked a tour and we went and I had to end my physical therapy before I had completed it," he said. "It's not 100 percent, but it's close."
Stephens said he was surprised at how easy it was to pick up where the pair left off.
"I think we fell back into it pretty easily, and both of us were pretty shocked by how well we remembered our old songs without even having to practice," he said. "It was just there. I thought it would take awhile and we would have to relearn the songs, but a lot of it was pretty ingrained at this point. I think the time off really helped us both mature and gain a bit more respect for the band and what we do together. We could come back with a passion and confidence in what we do."
Their live shows have always had that larger-than-two-guys-can-create bigness. With their newfound musical direction, expect an even more aggressive stage show, Stephens said.
"We're pretty much playing all new songs in our set, maybe four or five old songs," he said. "It's louder and more aggressive. It's a lot more taxing on my voice. I sing a lot higher than I'm used to. And we're singing more harmonies than we used to. We're broadening our sound a little bit.
"Our shows have always been energetic, but I would say it hits you in the face a little more than it used to."
If you go
• What: Two Gallants with Papa.
• When: 7 p.m. Tuesday.
• Where: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
• Tickets: $12 in advance at hotelcongress.com, $14 day of show. This event is for those 18 years and older. Valid ID required.
