Indiana album review

The Elms (from left, Chris Thomas, Owen Thomas, Nate Bennett and Thom Daugherty) will play their final show Friday, July 30, at Radio Radio. (Credit: Trust Incorporated)

In a nutshell: "Stoppin' on a Dime" is a 40-track swan song for the Elms, who will play a sold-out farewell show Friday at Radio Radio.

Fan finder: Technophiles may be intrigued by "Dime," which is sold at www.the elms.com as a "digi-box" of 320-kilobit-per-second download files. Musically, Owen Thomas delivers underdog lyrics complemented by Thom Daugherty's alpha-dog guitar solos -- a brand of heartland rock that made the Elms an international touring act.

That's a keeper: A healthy chunk of "Dime" is devoted to demo recordings of songs that may have been destined for the follow-up to 2009 album "The Great American Midrange." Although that album won't be made, the song "Majesty" is evidence that the Elms are quitting at the top of their game. On a favored topic of small towns, Seymour native Thomas sings, "Soybean fields cut into the sun, in a part of the world that was never young. The whole sky burns like a jubilee, over labored, sweat-drenched majesty."

Didn't see it coming: Changes of pace are heard on lullaby ballad "I Love You Even Though You Acted That Way" and relaxed instrumental "A Place in the Sun."

Selling points: This collection includes live versions of fan favorites "Nothin' to Do with Love" and "Back to Indiana," plus covers of Bob Dylan and the Who.

Visit the band's website.