Mariposa

It's likely that Madeline Johnston didn't actually hole herself up for the winter with only her private thoughts and the company of a crate of records and books while writing this album. Just the same, these eight tracks have that sort of feel — a kind of lonely, minimalist, contemplative beauty that speaks of the rare delicacy of feeling required to articulate with grace and originality the intermixing of political issues with the inevitable emotions that accompany them. Using just an acoustic guitar, loops, a judicious sprinkling of reverse delay and nearly whispered vocals, Johnston, with a handful of guest musicians, has written an album dealing with recent political events and personal pain in a way that is exactly the opposite of heavy-handed. These songs demand, and reward, your attention.