Last year's album, Kid Face, was for many the first introduction to Oklahoma-born Samantha Crain, a singer-songwriter whose initial interest in short story writing was sidetracked when she realised she could say in four minutes what would take her much longer to say through thousands of words.

And yet you can't remove the writer from the song, as this eloquent record proves. If life is made out of mostly small and unremarkable moments, then it's to Crain's credit that she paints word pictures so vividly. Songs such as Kathleen, Outside the Pale and You or Mystery are examples of how Crain best represents her frayed blue collar credentials.

Using arrangements that often remove her from the under the singer-songwriter umbrella (You or Mystery is a particular standout), one can see this album as pivotal in Crain's creative life. samanthacrain.com