Fondness Etc. [Digipak], Shakey Graves, CD

Long celebrated as one of America's most inventive DIY singer-songwriters, Shakey Graves (born Alejandro Rose-Garcia) has built a singular career on experimentation and emotional honesty. Fondness, etc. Feels like a window into his most personal world yet - and a full creative reset - placing emphasis on lo-fi sound and analog warmth, packed with soft vocals, haunted guitars, experimental textures, and tender imperfections. His songs explore trying to do better and holding onto fleeting beauty in a chaotic world. The title is a twist on "absence makes the heart grow fonder," delivered with classic Shakey self-effacing charm - capturing moments of life, love, and fatherhood with striking vulnerability and sonic exploration. An album built purely for joy, reminding us that the quietest moments often hold the most profound beauty.