Sun Down

For his fourth album, Sun Down, Nik Freitas creates an incredibly intimate atmosphere, a gentle setting for his musing, mostly introspective songs. The consummate singer/songwriter, Freitas can deftly conjure up a wealth of nuanced and carefully shaded moods, agilely incorporating a diverse range of influences and styles into his soft sound. "Sophie," the most upbeat number on the set, romps with R&B tossing bright brass into the mix. The downbeat "Oh My God" gently rocks on R&B of a very different flavor, edging simultaneously towards the blues and space rock, while "All the Way Down" swings towards jazz. If Ray Davies and Randy Newman co-wrote a song, it would probably sound a lot like this. Americana infuses "It Ain't Like That," the '60s seep into "See Me There," while world music swells up on "Comes to Me." The arrangements are just as diverse, "What You Become," for instance is built around a haunting piano line, while the lilting "Love Around" is more intricate, with piano, guitar, synth and drums delightfully intertwining. Freitas' lyrics are just as complex, the set's themes variously optimistic or fatalistic by turn. Ending with the lullaby strains of "Shhhh," Sun Down is deliberately understated, but gloriously so. A gorgeous album.