On Suburban Songbook, Kevin Mitchell, a.k.a. Bob Evans, brings a dash of ‘60s pop magic to his plaintive folk songs. Slippery, dreamy melodies make “Friend” sound like a Beatles tune smoothened by the California sun. With its glazed horns and upright piano trills, “Don’t Walk Alone” nods to the likeminded approach of Elliott Smith. While the album luxuriates in a range of tones and moods—from the tipsy lullaby of “Me & My Friend” to the winking country rock of “Sadness & Whiskey”—Mitchell’s attention to quality never falters.