Something Out Of Nothing [Digipak], Bye Parula, CD

A mercurial mix that draws from the orchestral funk of Serge Gainsbourg, the wounded melodies of Elliott Smith, the worldly rhythms of Talking Heads, and the homespun R&B of Dijon, all infused with a '70s cinematic sensibility that blurs the line between sun-dappled, soft-focus fantasia and urbane sophistication. But Something Out of Nothing's pleasure-seeking sounds can't obscure the distress lurking under the surface-this is a record that massages your shoulders musically while punching you in the gut lyrically.