As this week’s Top Ten Albums column on xlr8r.com says, “Jimmy LaValle is one hell of a talented musician.” After all, the man better known as The Album Leaf did lock himself away in his house for six months to take on the bulk of the instrumental and vocal duties for the new album, record it in a converted bar outside Seattle, and manage to produce one of Sub Pop’s most compelling releases this year. While we could go on about the various drum programming techniques and piano melodies on Into The Blue Again, we’d rather you check it out for yourself, so as not to miss this truly genuine piece of music.

Into The Blue Again is out September 12, 2006 on Sub Pop.