Sarah Slaton

Sarah Slaton’s West Texas EP couldn’t be any more nondescript: Aside from two stamps, one in black and bearing Slaton’s name, and the other in red with the title of the record (which, incidentally, is inspired by the ill-fated show Friday Night Lights and the idealized love depicted between Coach and Mrs. Taylor — the kind of love Slaton’s evidently longing for), there is no artwork. The disc itself is contained in a simple brown-paper sleeve that resembles the makeshift grocery-bag covers kids used to wrap their books in. Luckily, Slaton’s songs, which are equally sparse, often featuring just her voice and a guitar, are affecting enough on their own and don’t require any sort of elaborate packaging. With a delicate voice that recalls Harbinger-era Paula Cole, Slaton articulately expresses pathos both poignant and relatable. Overall, West Texas is a solid effort from a promising artist.