Author Nick Hornby included a song by Mark Mulcahy in his 2002 book 31 Songs, a collection of essays on tunes that carry a particular emotional impact for him. Included alongside tracks by the likes of Springsteen, Dylan, and Patti Smith was Mulcahy’s “Hey Self-Defeater.” After a brief, clandestine affair with semi-fame in the ‘80s and ‘90s with his superb band Miracle Legion, Mulcahy continues to make music that reaches somewhat limited circles, which is a shame. He’s one of the best songwriters around today, admired by the likes of Michael Stipe, Mark Eitzel, and Thom Yorke. It’s his music that speaks loudest, and on this—Mulcahy’s fourth full-length album since the late ‘90s and the first since his wife's tragic death in 2008—the artist shows his range and skill with stunning confidence. The see-sawing acoustic guitars and cooing backup singers on the opening “I Taketh Away” and the vehement “Where’s the Indifference Now?” (a song about the public spectacle surrounding Heath Ledger’s death) bookend nine more superb and uniquely American tunes.