In a nutshell: Split into two suites ("Communion Songs" and "Funeral Songs"), the tracks on Gibson's second full-length album of autumnal folk feel weighted with purpose, with long simmering memories ("I remember my mother's hands/laced in prayer, frail as birds") and finely rendered images becoming tactile and haunting when sent through Gibson's halting voice. It's a hard album to shake and the shimmering music (played by an all-star lineup of Portland, Oregon, musicians) makes it even more so, adding shades of rich color that was sorely missing from her earlier efforts.
—By Robert Ham