Quick hit: Robert Deeble

Robert Deeble‘s weary, careworn voice steals the spotlight for most of Heart Like Feathers. He takes good care of that which he has stolen, as the whole album feels gently loved into existence. I would guess that this is what Dan Mangan will be putting out in thirty years: arresting acoustic tunes that treasure each little part in the arrangement. The background noise in “Hearing Voices Seeing Ghosts,” the fragile piano of “Undertow,” the bass line movement on the title track—these are all pieces that make these tunes into the seemingly effortless marvels they are. There are a few forgettable tunes, but the highs are quite high. Go for the title track and “Undertow” first.