Between post-classical piano albums (excellent ones) and an Arthur Russell covers record, he's always come across as someone doing exactly as he pleases, but this new one is a vocal album that feels like the sum total of all those varied pursuits. It was reportedly recorded in his own bedroom in the summer of 2019, which is why he himself files it under "experimental bedroom pop." Sure enough, the banjo sounds wonderfully warm and the melodies carry the light bearing of American and British pop, yet behind it all is production that has clearly passed through various trends at every key turn. A real pro. And yes, Arthur Russell's influence can be felt all over. He's produced Nils Frahm, and the swing from Anglo-Saxon folk to fine-grained experimentalism recalls a certain period of Josephine Foster, so there's an edge here too, but at its root is a gentle, nap-in-the-afternoon calm that keeps the whole thing breathing, and that's what has me hitting repeat. Just when you were thinking there hadn't been a good Americana indie folk record lately, here's the perfect one. Give it a long listen. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)