Continuing his reign as one of the world’s most arresting songwriters, Phil Elverum’s Now Only expands the tragic worldview found on A Crow Looked at Me, a cathartic attempt at processing the death of his late wife Geneviève Castrée. But this time, the Mount Eerie project finds the brightness in Elverum’s memories, laughing at the very precipice of forging his living by performing songs about his dead wife at a festival in the middle of nowhere. The self-awareness remains on 10, the reflections are poignant, and the six songs sprawl out over 43 minutes without the slightest trace of overindulgence. I never found a right time to slap this album’s predecessor given the dark depth of the subject matter; this one sports a far leaner emotional barrier to entry. Both are indispensable works of bravery.
The Fat Angel Sings 