Sefronia

Tim Buckley’s final albums were infused with a quiet desperation. His avant-garde masterstrokes — Lorca, Starsailor — had been met with critical confusion and public indifference, which led to Buckley finding a way back to a folk-to-funk sound that might ensnare a few FM listeners. His cover of Fred Neil’s “Dolphins” and Tom Waits’ “Martha” are two reflective ballads that fall easily into the Buckley wheelhouse. The rockers are much in the tradition of Greetings from L.A., with the band pulling off a white-studio-funk while Buckley turns himself into a modern rock star (for the early ‘70s) in the hard- rock blues-mode. “Honey Man” is built for the barroom. “Quicksand” is even tougher. The guitars turn like switchblades and Buckley delivers a sensational vocal performance. “Because of You” is subtler, allowing for Buckley to use his breath to control the notes with commanding results. The title suite sneaks back into Buckley’s preferred mode of majestic soulful sweeps where one imagines the ocean’s tides rolling to shore. Sefronia is an underrated work.