Where Shall You Take Me [Deluxe Reissue]

Arriving just a year after the surprisingly eclectic and electric of , 's is something of a return -- but not a retreat -- to the moody minimalism of albums like . Songs like and share the acoustic strumming and rustic, shuffling rhythms of his earlier work, but also have a subtly polished confidence that brings out the warmth in 's singing and playing as never before. The elements always present in his music come to the fore on which, with its sweet, close harmonies, borrows equally from the traditions of . A devotional thread runs through , particularly on its second half, where contrast love's complexities with deceptively simple melodies and arrangements. Overall, the album is less challenging than , although recalls that work's -influenced sound and the spooky, drum machine-driven is a beautifully brooding that rivals 's darkest moments. While might be less ambitious than its predecessor, it certainly has its own compelling charms; the album has an off the cuff, direct feel that suggests it was recorded with a few friends over the course of an afternoon, particularly on songs like More importantly, 's singing and songwriting are affecting in virtually any setting and on any scope. is a small triumph, but a triumph nonetheless. ~ Heather Phares