Eleanor Friedberger - New View: embroidered with subtle guitar fireworks

After a decade alongside her brother Matthew in the Fiery Furnaces, the band’s hiatus since 2011 has given Eleanor Friedberger the time to produce some fine solo albums.

The new view on the third album could be taken as a reference to her new surroundings in upstate New York.

While the new sense of invigoration writ large on New View might owe something to what's outside her window in a valley between the Catskills and Shawangunk mountain ranges, it's also indicative of Friedberger's growing prowess as a songwriter and performer.

She’s not afraid to put love and heartbreak to the fore, but she does so with great skill and warmth rather than simply amplifying the anguish.

Tracks like Open Season, He Didn't Mention His Mother and especially A Long Walk are fantastic, each one embroidered with subtle guitar fireworks.