Lia Ices: Grown Unknown

Label: Jagjaguwar

Brooklyn song-angel Lia Ices glided gracefully under the radar with her 2008 debut, Necima, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous collection of poetic, beautifully sung ruminations on love and all the things that bind us together (or rather, that we want to bind us together). In a way, it could be said that Grown Unknown, recorded (like Necima) with Nicolas Vernhes at Brooklyn's Rare Book Room studio, is just the same thing -- only better and more of it. Each of these nine songs is arranged like the night sky, constellations stitched together with piano (Ices's home instrument), percussion, guitar and other colors, all composed with such fine hand that your nerves will glitter like stars. Ices has never been better than on "Daphne," a wrenchingly emotional tale that explodes in drama midway through. "Bag of Wind" sweeps around like a summer breeze, graceful and haunting. The song that may best sum up this artist's many talents, "After Is Always Before," will stay with you through the winter-spring transition and beyond -- that voice, there is none other. Fans of songwriting that reaches far beyond the commonplace need to hear this album.