During folk/slowcore group American Music Club’s near-decade hiatus, singer/guitarist Mark Eitzel went through a wild burst of creativity; West, from 1997, was one of the high points of this period, sporting focused, tight playing (“Free of Harm”), chilling ambiance (“Helium”), and seriously catchy melodies (“In Your Life”). Eitzel worked with friend/R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck on songwriting and production, courting edginess via the distortion and drones of “Old Photographs” while still diving into deep emotional territory (“Fresh Screwdriver”).