Crush Songs

Karen O stands as the ultimate New York punk goddess – with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, she's screamed her way through four great albums in a row. Her extracurricular projects have included everything from movie soundtracks to an opera, but Crush Songs is a much mellower affair. These are low-fi home recordings she made in 2006 and 2007, casually plucking her acoustic guitar. The LP has the same winsome vibe as "The Moon Song," her Oscar-nominated theme from Her. She sings about bashful romance in tunes like "Day Go By" and her cover of the Doors' "Indian Summer" – sounding like a scared geek trying to talk herself off the couch and out into the night.