Meredith Bragg - Nest

Meredith Bragg - We're going to guess that the title of the Virginia songwriter's eagerly anticipated third full-length might be somewhat influenced by the recent birth of his daughter but we'll nevertheless find room to nestle in around Bragg's shimmering, engaging pop/folk... longtime collaborator and producer Chad Clark was again on hand to help steer this smart, ambitious project // Release: Nest (July 19, Kora Records) // Sounds like: a broadened sonic base for these personal Elliott Smith/Sufjan Stevens-like musical musings, a slight change up from the stark acoustic slant of 2007's Silver Sonya...Bragg's voice has an early Paul Simon feel, particularly on tracks like the simple strummer "Next Time" where string embellishments create a rich, velvety backing // Quote: "I have always wanted to do different things musically to get the sounds that I want and hear in my head." // What we like: beyond the undeniably pretty melodies, Bragg is something of bold thinker -- not only in the thoughtful lyrics (ranging from Audubon to dream theory to parenting) but also in the notably left-of-center production quirks..."Birds of North America" is an instant classic in our book, sweeping strings and keys and a tugging 4/4 beat yielding to Bragg's multi-tracked harmonies, a crackling snare drum and dramatic climax...

Meredith Bragg - "Birds of North America" (from the album Nest)

Meredith Bragg - "Next Time" (from the album Nest)