Last Summer Merge****

While some of the Fiery Furnaces lexicon is present (idiosyncratic melodies, askew synths, lyrical and intellectual bric-a-brac), there is also an emotional directness at work in Eleanor Friedberger's first solo LP. Something Like Heaven captures a hazy sense of the 1970s, filtering Kath Bloom, while Roosevelt Islandsees Friedberger doing that half- singing/half-talking riff she does so well, amid an air of disco. One Month Marathon is slightly arch but crumbles under the weight of sensuality and glowing instrumentation, where Friedberger talks of her "last ensemble" as where "she'll be wearing nothing at all". This is a clue to the nakedness of the record, where warm and unfussy (though inventive) arrangements ably showcase her unique vocals and incandescent heart. See eleanorfriedberger.com

Download tracks: Heaven, One Month Marathon, Owl's Head Park