Sumie

As the decades slide by, many young singer/songwriters still aim to capture the simple, austere beauty of Nick Drake’s Pink Moon. The self-titled debut by Swedish-Japanese vocalist Sumie is a sublime piece of acoustic minimalism. It's just a dash more produced than her previous EPs, thanks to producer Dustin O’Halloran’s piano and background vocalists who sound like witches at an off-white mass. The leisurely pace and serious dedication to preserving the vibe may cause impatient listeners to wonder where the change-up is, but for fans of Mark Kozelek, Ida, early Low, and, naturally, Nick Drake, this carefully calibrated approach yields dividends that reveal themselves as one’s pulse becomes one with the unbreakable atmosphere. Sumie's sister, Yukimi Nagano of the Swedish electro-pop quartet Little Dragon, may grab more attention, but in these tortoise-or-hare scenarios, guess who often leaves the greater impact? Besides, “Never Wanted to Be,” “Burden of Ease,” “Speed Into," and “Later Flights” linger just when you think you’re over them.