July Flame

Laura Veirs' latest release, the stripped-down July Flame, uses atmosphere and tension as the connective tissue for its songs. Veirs, who's been setting her observations to song since 1999, says she was in a writing slump going into this record, so she challenged herself with odd tunings on her nylon-string guitar. She dug deep inside for inspiration, did away with her full band for most of the album and wrote many of these tracks in her barn in Portland, Ore.

1. I Can See Your Tracks
2. July Flame
3. Sun Is King
4. Where Are You Driving
5. Life Is Good Blues
6. Silo Song
7. Little Deschutes
8. Summer Is The Champion
9. When You Give Your Heart
10. Sleeper In The Valley
11. Wide-Eyed, Legless
12. Carol Kaye
13. Make Somthing Good