There’s no doubting the rich history of North Carolina’s music scene, but one of the joys of following the Raleigh scene is most certainly watching how the music, and those that are making it, evolve throughout the years.

Chapel Hill’s Mipso is a perfect example of this — they began as a ragtag group of students from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill making loosely folk-oriented music. However, with the release of their second full-length album, “Dark Holler Pop,” the band seems to have found its voice — crafting an album that stands comfortably between contemporary folk and their traditional bluegrass roots.

The band enlists in the help of some of North Carolina’s finest musicians on “Dark Holler Pop,” with Mandolin Orange’s Andrew Marlin serving as the album’s producer. The Raleigh bluegrass standout also lends his talents on the mandolin, along with artists including Megafaun’s Phil Cook, Chatham County Line and Town Mountain. While these artists have an influence on the album’s sound, the core of these songs display the refined acoustic brilliance of Mipso’s songwriting team.

Each track has its own clear voice, displaying one of the group’s three songwriters’ powerful senses of self.  Whether it is Joseph Terrell’s vivid storytelling on tracks such as “Louise,” or bassist Wood Robinson’s jazz background showing through the dynamic song structures, every member of the band provides a key aspect to this promising act.

Poignant lyricism and addictive melodies may drive these songs, but there are plenty of subtle nuances that make “Dark Holler Pop” the brilliant piece of work it is.

“Dark Holler Pop” contains heavy subject matter, but it’s conveyed in an earnest light that makes it all a bit more palatable. Any other artist tackling a song like “When I’m Gone,” which delves into the emotional highs and lows of life and death, would struggle to produce anything other than a heart wrenching tear jerker. However, Mipso turns it into a bright folk ballad that bounces along with a sincere desire for loved ones to find the joy in the world after the narrator’s passing.

But for all the darkly tinged acoustic pop songs on this album, there are equal counterparts that feel like headstrong anthems of redemption, young love and coming of age. “Louise” tells the tale of a young farming couple that sets out with nothing but a tank of gas and a dream after their farm goes south, while “Rocking Chair Blues” takes a contemplative look at life from the front porch of a Southern home.

“Dark Holler Pop” is strongly rooted in Southern tradition, but it’s also an album that treads upon exciting new frontiers. Mipso used to be a bit of a genre-less act and was more aptly described as acoustic pop than anything else. But after years of honing their craft, the trio has become an empowered string band that combines traditional Southern music with pop-driven folk that makes for an infectious new sound.

Ultimately the album feels like a refreshing addition to not only the Triangle music scene, but also for the national scene that they’re sure to make a dent in after the release of this excellent album. The group’s music has already taken them to Japan and China to showcase their fantastic brand of bluegrass and, as more and more ears are exposed to the sweet sounds of Mipso, the public is sure to fall in love.

Mipso has gone from your standard group of college students with a wide-eyed desire to make it in music to a fully committed and fully realized group of excellent musicians with a knack for powerful storytelling.