Jim Hurst

From The Ground Up

Pinecastle, 2022

8/10

Listen to From The Ground Up

A musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and producer, Jim Hurst brings his distinct picking style to these very bluegrass friendly 11 tracks that welcome some exceptional help on vocals and instrumentation.

“Sunnyside Garden” opens the listen with Hurst’s comforting, cozy pipes alongside Steve Wilson’s banjo and Christian Ward’s fiddle as plenty of vocal harmonies unfold with beauty, and “Nothin’ To Do But Pray” follows with Kristin Scott Benson’s banjo and Wayne Benson’s mandolin helping cultivate a very poetic and gospel influenced landscape.

In the middle, “Easy Does It” spotlights Mike Witcher’s dobro and Fred Carpenter’s fiddle as the vocal-less 4 minutes flows with grace, while “It Started With Love” finds a romantic place to reside with Ethan Burkhardt’s bass and Alan Bibey’s mandolin complementing the soothing vocal harmonies.

Deeper still, the agile and poetic “John Williams” benefits much from Shawn Lane’s mandolin and tenor vocals in the album’s best, and “Oh Lonesome Me” exits the listen with Danny Roberts on mandolin and Gary Davis on banjo for the very intricate and memorable finish.

This is Hurst’s first release in 7 years, and he makes the wait worth it, where his powerful voice and award winning guitar playing make for a timeless and memorable bluegrass listen.

Travels well with: Kim Robins- Leave The Porch Light On; Deeper Shade Of Blue- 20

The Local Honeys

The Local Honeys

La Honda, 2022

8/10

Listen The Local Honeys

The long running duo of Linda Jean Stokley (guitar, vocals, harmonium) and Montana Hobbs (banjo, vocals), as The Local Honeys the pair birth a very memorable version of bluegrass that welcomes grooves, harmonies and some ruggedness to the affair.

“The L & N Don’t Stop Here Anymore” opens the listen with much warmth, where the elegant strings are met with soaring vocals in the emotive climate, and “Last Mule In The Holler” follows with crisp drumming to complement the fuller delivery of playful banjo and expressive singing.

Elsewhere, the frisky, old time feel of “Dear Woodrow” mixes cozy strings with spirited guitar work for the nostalgic landscape, while “Better Than I Deserve” brings a breezy cautiousness that unfolds with charming vocal harmonies and gritty melody.

Approaching the end, the busy and dynamic “If I Could Quit” is certainly dance floor ready with its infectious energy of rural fun, and “Throw Me In The Thicket (When I Die)” exits the listen with a stirring on intimacy as much beauty surrounds the meticulous finish.

Also on hand are Rod Elkins (percussion), Craig Burletic (bass), Josh Nolan (guitar), Jesse Ray Wells (guitar, mandolin, fiddle), and Will Phillips (trumpet), and together with Hobbs and Stokley they carry on the rich tradition of music from Kentucky with this very well thought out body of work.

Travels well with: Riddy Arman- Riddy Arman; Brennen Leigh- Prairie Love Letter

Albare & Co.

Freedom

Alfi, 2022

8/10

Listen to Freedom

The Israeli-born guitarist & composer Albare returns with Phil Turci (piano), Randy Brecker (Flugelhorn and Trumpet), Ada Rovatti (Alto and Tenor sax), Phil Rex (Bass), and Felix Bloxom (Drums) for this batch of swing friendly and timeless jazz compositions.

The title track opens the listen with much warmth, as mesmerizing bass work and elegant keys complement Albare’s stirring guitar, and “Adues” follows with more emphasis on the frisky drumming that suits the playful guitar lines superbly.

“Love Is Always” occupies the middle spot and is indeed romantic in its meticulous nature, while “Randy Makes Me Smile” picks up the pace with soulful brass adding much appeal to the album highlight.

Near the end, “Sunny Samba” flows with cultured melodies and a dance friendly approach that illustrates much chemistry between the players, and “New Expectations” exits the listen with the meticulous rhythm section aglow with much poise.

An absorbing 10 tracks that balances intimacy with adventurousness, the Bossa Nova and classic rock hints certainly mesh well with Albare and the esteemed players’ inimitable vision of jazz.

Travels well with: Albare- Albare Plays Jobim Vol. 2; Doug MacDonald- Overtones

Blynd Birds

Songs To Sink Yachts To

Self-Released, 2022

9/10

Listen to Songs To Sink Yachts To

An Austin, Texas trio who cover a lot of ground across these 9 tracks, Jared Blair (lead vocals, guitar, keys, trumpet), Simon Hillsman (drums) and Rachel Allred (bass), i.e. Blynd Birds, know their way around a guitar driven rock tune that’s kinds of pretty, kind of noisey and very much memorable.

“Mr. Abbott’s Misogyny Emporium” leads with raw, muted horns before bursting into a hypnotic and rhythmic display of instrumental prowess that seems like it could soundtrack a spy movie, and “Hand In The Till” follows with a thumping spirit and well timed organ as acrobatic drumming complements the gritty garage-rock.

Elsewhere, “Burnt Plastic” emits strong guitar playing and bits of classic rock into the energetic climate, while “Naked In A Booth” leads intimate before quickly segueing into a fuzzed out, blues friendly rocker.

Deeper into the back half, “Everybody Knows”, the best song present, balances calm, soulful moments with the powerful rhythm section, and “Your Bath Is Boiling” exits the listen with a dense display of multi-faceted rock that hints at post-rock in its adventurous, vocal-less finish.

Don Cento (piano) and Antoinette Odom (backing vocals) lend their talents here, and along with the collective strength of Blynd Birds, the rock, punk, folk, blues and garage nods all meet at a very compelling intersection.

Travels well with: Jon Spencer- Spencer Sings The Hits; Carrier- When New York Is Drowning

Équipe de Foot

Geranium

Yapéno/Luik, 2022

9/10

Listen to Geranium

The French duo of Alex and Mike, as Equipe de Foot the pair don’t hide their pop influences amid indie and alt-rock blasts that mix calm moments with arena sized rockers on this very well executed 3rd album.

"All Empty Space Is Not Just Filled With Air” opens the listen with a hypnotic atmosphere that uses keys and soft singing to create a thoughtful mood, and “Cosy Nothing, Moving Coffin” continues the cautiousness with a bit of dreaminess that welcomes soothing backing vocals and warm acoustic guitar.

Further on, “Melancholy Eyes” is more firm with thumping drums and dense fuzz as alt-rock enters the equation, while “SLVOTE” jangles with a breezy spirit of ‘90s college-rock that will make fans of Pavement drool.

Deeper yet, “15 Octobre” bursts into a giant sized, buzzing rocker that balances power and melody, and “Drunk At Best” exits with much intimacy entering the pulsating bass, gritty guitar and poetic singing.

Alex and Mike have come a long way from their humble beginnings, and this extremely memorable listen certainly should gain them legions of new fans, especially among those who like Eels or Sparklehorse

Travels well with: Dewaere- What Is Pop Music Anyway?; Cosse- Nothing Belongs To Anything

Various Artists

Figments Vol 3: Contemporary Chamber Works

Navona, 2022

8/10

Listen to Figments

This 3rd installment of the Figments series brings the work of Jacob E. Goodman, Gary D. Belshaw, Andrew Lewinter, Thomas Mann Jr., Elliott Miles McKinley, and Eleanor Alberga, where the compositions range from soothing to mystical in the very capable hands of the esteemed musicians on hand.

“Variations For A Rainy Afternoon” opens the listen with Anna Kislitsyna’s graceful keys alongside soothing strings in the very agile and inviting climate, and “Piccolo & Chalumeau” follows with Sandra Mosteller’s dreamy clarinet and Richard Fountain’s piano complemented by Jessica Lizak’s strategic flute/piccolo in the upbeat and energetic landscape.

Halfway through, “Trio For Oboe, Horn, And Piano” blends the 3 instruments with incredible beauty in its cinematic appeal, while “Dance Of The Lizards” recruits the Juventas New Music Ensemble for a very playful album highlight that uses strings and winds with a very charming delivery.

Near the end, the more ominous and chilling “Three Autumn Sketches” employs the Slovak Radio Symphony Chamber Music Players for the haunting effort, and “Shining Gate Of Morpheus” exits the listen with Richard Watkins’ horn and the Ensemble Arcadiana’s strings starting with intimacy before building into a radiant, thriving finish.

A very diverse set of tracks that explores fantasy and reality in the area of Greek mythology, spirited animals and surreal scenic portraits, the easily embraceable melodies and rhythm make each selection here worth repeated visits.

Travels well with: Peter Greve- Oerbos & Other Works Vol. II; The Music Of Rain Worthington- Passages Through Time

Matt Aronoff

Morning Song

Adhyaropa, 2022

8/10

Listen to Morning Song

A live recording from 2018, the bassist Matt Aronoff brings along Jason Rigby (tenor sax), Yago Vazquez (Fender Rhodes) and Henry Cole (drums) for the well crafted 6 tracks that are as heartfelt as they are meticulous.

The title track starts the set with soothing brass, cautious drumming and well timed bass in the 10 minutes of warmly textured jazz sensibilities, and “El De Lun” follows with an introspective spirit that’s quite stylish and weaves in and out of intimate moments of grace and exploration.

“Bass Interlude” and “Hodgman” land in the middle, where the former showcases Aronoff’s intricate bass prowess, and the latter emits a mesmerizing tone of detailed drumming and effective keys.

The final 2 tracks are just as impressive, and includes the busier, more firm interaction between the quartet on “June 25th”, and “Blue Quokka” exits with free jazz nods that are unpredictable, exciting and memorable.

This body of work is dedicated to Aronoff’s father, who was diagnosed with cancer, and the emotive angle of the songs certainly reflect a wide range of feelings that span peaceful, unstable and hopeful in Aronoff’s inimitable vision.

Travels well with: Wayne Shorter- Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis; Sam Sadigursky- The Soloman Diaries

Various Artists

Brass Tacks: Music For Brass

Navona, 2022

8/10

Listen to Brass Tacks: Music For Brass

A charming listen that pay homage to legendary classical and romantic composers, the work of Brian Belet, Nathan Wilson Ball, Janice Macaulay, L Peter Deutsch and Andrew Lewinter is highlighted here with profound attention to detail.

“Three By Five" leads the listen with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava Brass Quintet meshing their brass in bright, dynamic and highly meticulous ways across the 3 chapters, and “Nocturne” follows with the quintet taking a much more cautious approach that allows their sublime horns to emit much intimacy.

Elsewhere, “Tuba Contra Mundum” allows Jobey Wilson’s elegant and unpredictable tuba skills to shine in the bare climate, while “Twilight Waltz”, by Deutsch, showcases the profound beauty of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava Brass Quintet’s trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba in a very stirring, cinematic fashion.

The final piece belongs to James Wilson’s horn and Katherine Ciscon’s piano, where the pair interact playfully and with much warmth across “Sonata For Horn And Piano”.

A rich affair that welcomes plenty of solos and utilizes odd time meters, blues notes and meticulous brass writing, the talent here is exceptional and the vision timeless.

Travels well with: Georges Raillard- Fading Sounds; Jeffrey Derus- From Wilderness

Peter Dayton

Stories Out Of Cherry Stems

Navona, 2022

8/10

Listen to Stories Out Of Cherry Stems

The composer Peter Dayton pens a chamber vocal album that spans several centuries in scope and welcomes text from Jordi Alonso, Pablo Neruda, Louise Gluck, Oscar Wilde, Rita Dove, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Max Ehrmann that are illuminated by Katie Procell’s stunning voice.

The album leads with the bright, expressive singing of “Entwine Our Tongues: Sapphic Fragments”, where Andrea Morris’ smooth oboe, Brian Tracey’s well timed clarinet and Jennifer Hughson’s strategic bass clarinet illuminate Procell’s robust pipes, and “Si Solamente” follows with Lavena’s moody violoncello helping cultivate a very stirring presence.

The back half of the listen offers the atmospheric viola of Eric D’Alessandro and dreaminess of Erin Baker’s harp via the moving and absorbing album highlight, “Lost Daughter: Songs on The Myth of Persephone”, and “Desiderata: Ten Pieces of Wisdom” exits the listen with Kyle Blake Jones handling soulful alto sax as Procell’s poetic and diverse singing unfolds with much grace.

A powerful listen that can also at times be delicate, Dayton creates a stunning, original body of work that will certainly impress the chamber and vocal music inclined.

Travels well with: Michael Murray- Passages; Georges Raillard- Fading Sounds

Lorelei Ensemble

Antigone

New Focus, 2022

8/10

Listen to Antigone

An outfit led by the artistic director Beth Willer, the Lorelei Ensemble interpret the work of James Kallembach, where Sarah Brailey, Rebecca Myers Hoke, Jessica Beebe, and Arwen Myers bring their sopranos, the mezzo-sopranos Christina English and Sophie Michaux are in attendance, and the altos Stephanie Kacoyanis and Emily Marvosh are also on hand.

“Ecce quomodo moritur” opens the listen with soothing, soaring vocal harmonizing from the sopranos as the moody strings enter the cautious climate, and “During the time of the great war” follows with the expressive singing and firm strings emitting both tension and beauty.

Further along, the highly meticulous “Trio/Creon: Then, Creon, knowing that the people” balances intimacy and eloquence with much grace, while “Creon/Chorus” finds a more haunting, cinematic place to reside with its chilling voice and eerie strings.

The final portion leads with the bright voices of “Chorus/Antigone: Farewell my friends, my countrymen”, where carefully plucked strings and sublime harmonizing make for the album’s best selection, and its chorus/duet exits the listen with a more bare and very pretty finish of poetic, captivating singing.

The cello quartet of Caleb van der Swaagh, Lisa Caravan, Michael Unterman, and Jonathan Dexter, sure do a superb job of highlighting the many voices and Kallembach’s storytelling that draws inspiration from the writings of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Movement, who denounced the Nazi government in the early ‘40s, and were executed for their anti-Nazi views.

Travels well with: String Noise- Way; Marti Epstein- Nebraska Impromptu

Giovanni Dal Monte

Anestetico V1 & V2

SonicaBotanica, 2022

8/10

Listen to Anestetico V1 & V2

An artist with an iconoclastic view of music, Giovanni Dal Monte brings us 2 discs of improvisations via modular synth and groove machines that are manipulated with a keen attention to mood and tone.

“Ketama” opens the listen with adventurous electronica, where strategic rhythm unfolds with bleeps and boops, and “Inle” continues this creativity with a fuller display of sharper synthetic sounds that are certainly danceable in atypical ways.

Further on in this portion, the sci-fi nods of “Guimaraes” offer a bit of mystery, while “Oddo” yields a tribal like drumming that’s a bit haunting. “Noravox” exits disc 1, and it’s a busier approach that nearly seems like a field recording.

Volume II shift directions into a more string focused affair, where a dreaminess surrounds “Giglio”, and in the middle the bright “Kyaiktiyo” floats like a lullaby in a nearly New Age like fashion. The best track from this portion, “Upnatma”, touches on the ideas of modern indie-tronica, and is quite stylish, even with a hint of pop.

A very unique collection that spans jazz, avant-garde, experimental, neo-classical and tribal ideas, the bare use of vocals by Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo and Ozcan Basak add even more appeal to Dal Monte’s unorthodox formula.

Travels well with: Pulsar Ensemble- Bizarre City; Laguerre/Noetinger- DnT

Matt York

Gently Used

Self-Released, 2022

9/10

Listen to Gently Used

A driving force of the Boston Americana scene, the singer-songwriter Matt York brings along Tim Dinneen (drums), Joshua Hedley (fiddle), Taylor Hollingsworth (lead guitar), Spencer Cullum Jr. (pedal steel) and Dillon Warnek (piano) for a listen that seems like it might have come straight out of Nashville.

“If You Want Love” starts the listen with plenty of playful twang, where York’s smooth, yet gritty pipes are met with soulful backing vocals amid the warm honky tonk spirit, and “Up And Down” follows with a more cautious approach that’s a bit dreamy with a rugged, country-rock demeanor.

Further on, “Let’s Try Failure” utilizes skilled bass work alongside a darker formula that’s a bit folk-influenced, while “Strong Feelings” displays meticulous acoustic guitar and moody fiddle in the intimate album highlight.

Deeper yet, “I Know You Love Me” spotlights the sharp drumming and York’s falsetto in the raw love song, and “I’m Leaving” exits with piano balladry, where the glowing pedal steel complements the poetic, vulnerable finish.

York knows his way around a tune that you won’t soon forget, and the 11 here certainly will strike a chord with the roots, country, Americana and honky tonk crowd in ways that will make you grab your dancin’ boots, just as they may have you mulling things over.

Travels well with: Peter Donovan- This Better Be Good; Drunken Prayer- Cordelia Elsewhere

Michael Murray

Passages

Navona, 2022

8/10

Listen to Passages

The composer Michael Murray illuminates the words of 19th and 20th century poets via these moving pieces that employ singing from Genevieve Fulks, where childhood adventure, hope, and tragedy are explored under Murray’s very thoughtful vision.

“Passage To Nod” opens the listen with text by Robert Louis Stevenson as Fulks’ soaring soprano guides the powerful and soaring landscape that’s cinematic in nature thanks to the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra’s fascinating playing.

“Genevieve’s Cats” follows with intimate and playful piano from Minju Choi Witte alongside the diverse pipes of Fulks that uses text by William Wordsworth, William Butler Yeats and John Keats, while “Penny Whistles” rumbles with Witte’s skilled keys, Allison Storochuk’s upbeat clarinet and Fulks’ strong range that can be both firm and bare.

The final track and perhaps the best, “The Last Invocation” pairs the Moravian Philharmonic with Fulks, and it yields a bit of mystery, even a haunting element amid Walt Whitman’s words.

Stanislav Vavřínek provides conductor duties on half the tracks, and Murray’s highly detailed approach, Fulks’ sublime voice and the strategic use of instruments makes for a captivating listen.

Travels well with: Georges Raillard- Fading Sounds; Joseph Summer- Hamlet

Georges Raillard

Fading Sounds

Navona, 2022

8/10

Listen to Fading Sounds

The composer Georges Raillard embraces the simple wonders of the world with these 10 works for solo guitar, where David William Ross brings his fluid skills to the creative and harmonic listen.

“Coastal Rhapsody” starts the listen with warm, smooth guitar playing that’s quite soothing and sometimes very bare in its stirring appeal, and “In The Pine Wood” follows with much attention to mood as sublime, sparse moments as well more firm gestures unfold across the 5 chapters.

Elsewhere, “Cut Flowers” displays cascading waves of beauty with a poetic appeal, while “Lighthouse” emits a hypnotic approach that illustrates fascinating progression with the guitar. The album’s best selection, “Stray Thoughts”, arrives near the end, and unfolds with 3 segments that are dreamy, vibrant and even mysterious in Ross’ very capable hands.

A body of work that manipulates tone and timbre with fascinating results, the upbeat versus haunting moments make for a very unpredictable and often enlightening experience.

Travels well with: Joseph Summer- Hamlet; Jeffrey Derus- From Wilderness

The Handcuffs

Burn The Rails

Pravda, 2022

8/10

Listen to Burn The Rails

A Chicago outfit spearheaded by Brad Elvis Steakley (drums, backing vocas) and Chloe F. Orwell (lead vocals, sax, flute, rhythm guitar), as The Handcuffs they bring a wide variety of influences to this 4th album of sonically charming melodies and nostalgic rock’n’roll that’s still quite modern.

“Grapefruit” gets the album off to a loud, energetic start, where a quick blast of thick guitar, bright brass and thumping drums segues into the more cautious “Love Me While You Can”, where mature piano complements the soulful singing while grit and melody are balanced precisely.

Elsewhere, “Let’s Name Our Children” welcomes Inga Olson’s strategic cello on the multi-faceted rocker, while “I’m Happy Just To Dream With You” offers a charming and retro-spirit that’s got an undeniable sing-along appeal.

Deeper into the back half of the listen, “Dancing With The Dandies” certainly will get your body moving, as plenty of rhythm is executed with glam-rock nods, and “Tobogganing” exits the listen with some spacey exploration, where mystery and atmosphere populate the adventurous finish.

An exciting listen that reminds us of Led Zeppelin, Patti Smith, and Roxy Music to name a few, The Handcuffs make great use of every second here, and thanks to Emily Togni’s bass, Alison Hinderliter’s keys and synth and Jeffrey Kmieciak’s guitar work, you’re going to want to devote plenty of time to Burn The Rails.

Travels well with: Hushdrops- The Static; Steve Almaas- Everywhere You’ve Been

Bill Ortiz

Points Of View

Left Angle, 2022

8/10

Listen to Points Of View

A veteran fixture of the Bay Area scene for over 4 decades, the trumpeter Bill Ortiz finds himself alongside many players on this first solo album since his departure from Santana in 2016.

“Sunburst” starts the listen with no lack of energy, where Dennis Chambers’ thumping drums and Marcus Shelby’s throbbing bass complement Ortiz’s soulful horns, and “Alex The Great” follows with Matt Clark’s agile piano and Azar Lawrence’s strategic tenor sax helping make for a time dynamic jazz climate.

At the halfway point, “Okonkole y Trompa” flows with a mesmerizing landscape thanks to John Santos and Javier Navarrette’s percussion and background vocals, not to mention Ortiz’s bright trumpet and effects, while “Fusion/Noche Cubana” welcomes much culture into the rhythmic display that showcases Marc Van Wageningen’s electric bass.

Advancing towards the end, “Oriental Folksong” is a more intimate moment that benefits from the meticulous rhythm section and rich song craft of the Wayne Shorter original, and “My Lord And Master” exits the listen with a stirring dreaminess that surrounds the piano led finish.

The 10 tracks present represent the best vehicles for Ortiz to illustrate his personal voice on trumpet, and they sure do suit his return to improvisational jazz, too, with much diversity and memorableness.

Travels well with: Chris Standring- Simple Things; Eric Goletz- A New Light

Stacy Antonel

Always The Outsider

Self-Released, 2022

9/10

Listen to Always The Outsider

The Nashville artist Stacy Antonel certainly tips her hat to classic country sounds, but she’s also versed in jazz, pop and R&B on this exceptional debut album.

The title track starts the listen with Antonel’s pretty, inviting vocals alongside with warm guitar and crisp drumming in the glowing country spirit, and “Karmic Cord” follows with bass from Joe Reed and Toby Caldwell’s drumming in the eloquent and emotive display of cautious song craft.

Further on, “Planetary Heartache” recruits Ben Moore on B3 organ for the intimate, pedal steel friendly album highlight, while “Absent Captain” moves with a bit more ruggedness that showcases Antonel’s soaring pipes amid Matt Lynott’s precise drumming and Paul Sgroi’s spirited electric guitar.

Approaching the end, “Not Looking For Love” welcomes Sam Hunt on electric guitar for a hint of alt-rock, and “Better Late Than Never” is a more firm display of Antonel’s diverse skills that takes help from Eddie Lange’s glowing pedal steel, which lays the foundation for the gritty roots rock.

Antonel cut her teeth playing country covers before recording an EP as Ginger Cowgirl. Now under her own name, she’s free to explore her many influences and appreciation of several genres, and along with this all-star cast of players she’s penned a really wise and timeless first album.

Travels well with: Angie Goeke- If I Were Honest; Lynne Hanson- Ice Cream In November

Dmitri Matheny

Cascadia

Origin, 2022

9/10

Listen to Cascadia

The flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny takes the company of Charles McNeal (tenor, soprano sax), Bill Anschell (piano), Phil Sparks (bass) and Mark Ivester (drums) for this timeless and exciting jazz affair.

The title track opens the listen with warm keys and soothing brass, as a very warm spirit enters the graceful climate, and “On A Misty Night” follows with playful bass and bright flugelhorn making for a crisp and dynamic album highlight.

“Perfect Peaches”, a lyrical bossa, occupies the middle spot and showcases the meticulous drumming amid an agile melody, while “The Lonesome Road” moves intimately, with a very meticulous attention to detail as the setting gets quite mesmerizing.

“Humble Origins” and “After The Rain” finish the listen, where the former brings a stirring cinematic quality with the rich interaction between the quintet, and the latter exits with a sublime delivery that certainly does justice to the Coltrane original.

A healthy mix of ballads and bop friendly tones, Matheny and company flesh out a soulful and absorbing body of work here.

Travels well with: Hugo Fernandez- Ozean; Ben Morris- Pocket Guides

Chastity Brown

Sing To The Walls

Self-Released, 2022

8/10

Listen to Sing To The Walls

Not only did the isolation that came with the pandemic have a profound affect on Chastity Brown, but she resides right at the epicenter of the post-George Floyd problems in Minneapolis. Like any great artist, though, she was able to parlay this trauma into art, and she saw a prolific writing spurt that yielded 100 new songs, 10 of which landed here.

“Wonderment” starts the listen with Brown’s expressive, soulful pipes that take help from Brady Blade’s strategic drumming and Lukas Johansson’s warm synth in the very cozy climate, and “Back Seat” follows with a dreamy approach that benefits from Joacim Otterbjork’s well timed bass and Brown’s spirited electric guitar as an infectious beat guides the bright storytelling.

“Curiosity” and “Golden” occupy the middle spots, where the former recruits elegant piano thanks to Johansson, while the latter has Brown playing Fender Rhodes and handling drum programming on the stylish and cautious album highlight.

Close to the end, the hypnotic “Hope” places Niklas Krantz on electric guitar and Brown on piano for the hazy, stirring delivery, and “Gertrude” exits the listen with Sharon Van Etten’s pipes, James Douglas’ strings and Nathan Night’s upright bass complementing Brown’s poetic voice on the very intimate finish.

The album started in Sweden, but was finished up in Brown’s home studio, where her Americana, folk and soul formula is fleshed out with meticulous attention to detail and much care.

Travels well with: Nicki Bluhm- Avondale Drive; Amy Speace- Tucson

Marinho

~ (tilde)

Street Mission, 2019

8/10

Listen to ~(tilde)

A Portuguese artist with a penchant for folk-rock ideas, Marinho delivers an impressive debut album here, with a poetic and intimate display of vulnerable and forthright song craft.

“Intro” starts the listen soft and wistful with a dreamy setting and restrained, pretty vocals, and “I Give Up And It’s Ok” follows with a playful jangle in the singer-songwriter template that embraces pop ideas.

Elsewhere, “Not You”, with Monday, unfolds with a soothing quality that’s full of mystery in its jazzy haze, while “Window Pane” illustrates skilled acoustic guitars in a fuller display of melodic folk-rock that’s so well done it alone is worth the price of admission.

Near the end, “Freckles” delivers an agile take on indie-rock with fantastic singing, and “Outro” exits the listen with a raw offering of gorgeous and bare execution.

Marinho didn’t have the easiest childhood, and she uses her past to create a moving, cinematic and introspective journey of sublime beauty on this stunning first record.

Travels well with: Buck Meek- Buck Meek; River Whyless- Kindness, A Rebel