Covers of Paul McCartney's "Silly Love Songs" and Yes' "Long Distance Runaround"; a title that nods to the poet Wallace Stevens; a chord progression nicked from Led Zeppelin's "Bron-Yr-Aur"; lyrics that coolly recall, "I felt nervous when you shook and cried" – you know, some albums just don't lend themselves to casual summary.

But then Red House Painters have never been easy to categorize. On...

With a lone piano, muted strings or abstract jazz guitar, these San Franciscans achieve a beauty rare, disturbing and resonant. Their landscape is one Tim Hardin, Nick Drake and Tim Buckley sketched – an emotional plane charged with ambivalent, hurt grace. Chief Painter Mark Kozelek is, without embarrassment, a poet – he phrases his words with care and ingenuity – and he's capable...