Kris Gruen - Lullaby School

From the outset, the deftly plucked banjo strings and soothing vocals on Lullaby School point to a tasteful array of Americana influences- Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens and Jeff Buckley to recall a few. However, Kris manages to make this collection distinctly his own. With tracks like "Truffles", "Further Down" and "Enchant Me" he moves us from moods that haunt, then embolden, then lament with somber fragility.