Heartache in 4/4 Time

A nervous breakdown, the loss of a close friend, and a near-deadly encounter with Hurricane Katrina are among the experiences that inform the latest tunes by Starlings, TN’s Steven Stubblefield. Here they're rendered with a blend of wry humor and stubborn resolve. Stubblefield’s compelling visions are fleshed out with the aid of old partner Tim Bryan, as well as new collaborator Bryan Robison, who brings a stronger electric-guitar presence to the combo’s acoustic-based approach. Together they take Appalachian-rooted country sounds (defined by Stubblefield’s inventive dulcimer playing) and mutate them with trippy orchestral colors and patches of shoegazer ambiance. Odd touches like massed choir vocals on “Too Little Too Late” and dissonant strings on “A Girl from Tchoupitoulas St.” add further layers of eeriness. Stubblefield’s parched, whispery vocals lend a dark intimacy to tracks like “One More Time,” “Firearms and Seeds," and “Dry County in Hell.” The droll barroom ballad “(Tonight) I’m Just Lookin’ to Get Laid” helps lighten the melancholy, while “You Will Heal” suggests there’s hope beyond the bleak times.