
While not quite the Stevens I was expecting from Asthmatic Kitty Records this year ( 2010, pals ), Shannon Stephen's breathtaking The Breadwinner is just as welcome - and maybe more so, given the decade-long wait following her self-titled debut. Stephens also served as frontwoman for Sufjan's undersung Marzuki, but The Breadwinner shares more in common with White Hinterland's recent gem Phylactery Factory - it's a set of intimately recorded, lush, jazz-tinged singer-songwriter pop that's as sweet and joy-inducing as spiked eggnog at the office Christmas party. White Hinterland's Casey Dienel offers more vocal [...]