The Fire Plays

Ari Hest's music is a delicate balancing act between the natural professionalism of his playing and the raw emotions that drive his songwriting. It'd be easy for Hest to fall back on his natural abilities, coasting along with songs that have slick pop hooks and assured performances yet reveal little of the man inside. Instead, Hest reflects on the world and his precarious place in it. "Concrete Sky" is a delicate acoustic tune that evinces real compassion and struggle. The music builds in sympathy, carefully filling in the spaces between breaths. Comparisons to Eddie Vedder or Pete Yorn are inevitable; Hest's voice has a quavering purr that adds a sense of fragility to tunes like "Know Where," "All Because," "Something to Look Forward To," and the title track, where the acoustic moments really let him bring out the best in his lyrics and sense of melody.