Lions [LP]

Hirsute Midwest singer/songwriter has a knack for crafting incredibly measured (almost hypnotically so), deeply personal, largely finger-picked folk confections that flirt with AOR pop without losing any of their artisan luster. Produced by 's ( , ), dispenses with some of the electronic flourishes that crept into 2011's . 's tape loops and synths reside largely in the shadows, allowing ' easy voice, which falls somewhere between the breathy earnestness of and the steady, deep water thrum of , ample stage room with which to strut and fret its hour. ~ James Christopher Monger