Listen: Jenny O. - "Opposite Island"

The exquisite "Opposite Island" is one of those songs that keeps beckoning back for another listen just to prove, again and again, that, yes indeed, it's as great as we think it is. Written and performed by pixie-ish L.A. songstress Jenny O., the track is part bedroom piano/pop simple (for anyone with a piano in their bedroom) and part stunning theatrical showstopper, a pin-drop quiet ballad that's transformed into what we've described earlier as "something beautiful beyond words." While Jenny's girlish vocal charms play up the song's tender lyrical confessions of "a long day" and "a bad night" leading to something hopeful, "Opposite Island" is a song that resonates as a deeply affecting modern pop standard. Check out the lyrics after the jump. More on Jenny O. and her fine Automechanic LP on DC here.

Jenny O. - 'Opposite Island' from Automechanic)

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Frally - Apis Mellifera

A mix of both confessional reflection and spiritual observation -- all rendered with one of the most achingly lovely voices --  Frally Hynes' exquisite 2010 album The Light prevailed as one of our favorite albums of the year, one that we described as an "inspired masterwork of sensitive, sensual songcraft." Long-awaited new album, Apis Mellifera (Latin for "honey bee"), is yet another rare gem. Working again with multi-instrumentalist/producer Jeff Hill (Rufus Wainwright), Frally again taps into themes of redemption, relationships and renewal, Hill and a superb band adding subtle backing -- and an occasional buzz of electricity -- to songs that span chamber pop grace ("Peace"), melancholic mood pieces ("Devil") and tender folk ballads ("Take Your Time"). Tracked live in the studio, "California" (listen below) is a glorious country-tinged campfire classic, Teddy Thompson adding vocals and sweet harmony to a slow dance of pedal steel and acoustic jangle. "By Chance" carves out new space in her impressive repertoire, a slow-paced alt-pop minor-chord dirge that quietly builds it's own shadowy twists and turns, the tension of frayed electric guitar riffs sustaining an interesting counterbalance to Frally's vulnerable vocals and the chiming piano notes in the bridge.

Frally - 'By Chance' (from Apis Mellifera)

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RADAR: Ef

Maybe it's the chilly Scandinavian climate and legendary cool  demeanor but Sweden's Ef sure know how to warm things up without getting too, well, sentimental in their quest for arty chamber/pop and post/rock grandeur. Everything sounds as big and crisply detailed as the starry winter night sky, a curiously compelling musical mix that echoes Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Skyand a touch of Denmark's orchestral wonders Efterklang. The band has been quietly been creating their lengthy, mostly instrumental compositions for a decade and new album Ceremonies (September 6) promises an even greater cinematic-sounding refinement with regal guitar lines, horns, strings, synths and thundering rhythms -- along with a stately vocal or two adding a little accessible icing to the cake. For a gloriously rich preview check out lead track "Bells Bleed and Bloom". More music on their Soundcloud.

Ef - 'Bells Bleed & Bloom' (from Ceremonies)

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Eisley - Currents

Self-produced fourth full-length from Tyler, Texas' all-in-the-family band Eisley finds the four siblings (and a cousin) further refining and expanding their sound. A mix of off-kilter but melodic pop choruses and a dollop of arty indie rock, Currents (May 28, Equal Vision) is both smart, adventurous and, says the band's Sheree Dupree-Bemis, "honestly the first time we’ve had total and complete free reign over the making of one of our records and it felt so liberating." Referencing the album's title, she adds, "The current is constantly moving and flowing no matter what and that’s what we’ve always done together and plan to keep doing.” New track "Drink The Water" displays the band's confidence in experimenting in the studio as interesting rhythmic time signatures, an angelic vocal chorus, darting orchestration and a haunting piano hook combine in a swirl of dense production. Stream the title track after the jump...

Eisley - 'Drink The Water' (from Currents)

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Listen: Cary Brothers - "Disappear"

L.A. singer/songwriter Cary Brothers teams up with the always wonderful Garrison Starr for "Disappear," a new song lifted from Brothers' recently released EP Let Me Be. The self-described "therapy record" following a painful breakup contains five new songs and is Brothers' first collection of new, original music since 2010's Under Control.

Cary Brothers - 'Disappear' (with Garrison Starr from Let Me Be)

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The National - Trouble Will Find Me

Fifth full-length Trouble Will Find Me from The National finds the critically acclaimed Brooklyn band arriving at a new inner-peace mindset that probably owes more to sheer exhaustion -- tours, children -- than anything else. Not to mention the re-immersion into the deep pool of classic songwriting from the likes of Neil Young, Roy Orbison and Cat Stevens that has brought their songs a less mannered more direct focus. The creative tension that accompanied the recording of The National's two most recent albums -- 2007's Boxer, 2010's High Violet -- has been replaced with a confidence and what the band's Aaron Dessner refers to as the band's return to a "free wheeling" approach adding, "It just feels like we've embraced the chemistry we have." That particular musical molecular structure remains grandly brooding with frontman Matt Berninger's baritone still commanding the spotlight. But there's a lighter touch and more simply laid out strategy this time around, fewer churning rock dirges, more crisply delineated lines. In the end an album that's "more fun", says Aaron, "or at least The National’s version of fun.” Stream "Don't Swallow The Cap" and watch the videos for "Sea of Love" and "Demons" below...

The National - 'I Should Live In Salt' (from Trouble Will Find Me)

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