Cold Specks

Add Date: May 22 

Artist: Cold Specks 

Album: I Predict a Graceful Expulsion 

Label: Mute 

Genre: Folk, folk rock 

Comments: Ontario native Al Spx, who originally wanted to be the guitarist for a rock band, wrote her first song at age 15. (That tune shows up in a revised version on I Predict a Graceful Expulsion as closing track "Lay Me Down".) Fast-forward to 2012, as Spx--which, as you might have guessed, isn't her given name--is releasing her debut LP as Cold Specks on Mute. Claiming influences that range from traditional American folk to Southern gospel to legendary artists like Tom Waits and Jeff Buckley, Spx has released a stunning collection of deeply personal, heartbreaking songs.

Though Spx is at the forefront, Cold Specks isn't a solo project; producer Jim Anderson and PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis are part of the full-band set that helped Spx make the album. And while these tunes would be quite brilliant with just Spx's gripping vocals and guitar, the rich instrumentation here--everything from guitars and percussion to horns, piano and cello--turns them into triumphant folk rock of the highest order.

An absolute gem of a debut; start with tracks 2, 7, 3, 1 and 10.