Nest

Family matters both blissful and bittersweet are the subject of Rebecca Zapen’s Nest. The Florida-based singer/songwriter looks closely at her marriage and birth of her first child with an affectionate yet discerning eye. Zapen’s warm, earnest vocal style is well suited to her wry, diary-like lyrics. From the tender promises of “I’m Gonna Make So Many Things for You” to the kitchen commentary of “Tiny and Strong," she displays a knack for finding the telling details of ordinary life. Most affecting along these lines are “Lakewood” (an aching portrait of her parents’ divorce) and “Grandfather’s Song.” Within her acoustic folk/jazz perimeters, Zapen moves between the carnival ambiance of “Swamp Pit,” the quirky pop of “You Did Me Wrong," and the keening Appalachian balladry of “Colorado.” As an instrumentalist, she shines on violin, guitar, and cevaquino (a South American cousin to the ukulele). Nest’s boldest move is a bossa nova–style treatment of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.” It adds an extra twist to an album filled with beguiling tunes, tasty licks, and a life-affirming tone overall.