CHRIS STAPLES – AMERICAN SOFT (BARSUK)

Acoustic singer-songwriter who formed the Discover America project — and formerly of Twothirtyeight — here with his third full-length commercial solo release.  Pared-down, gentle, introspective songs, most with only guitar accompaniment and very simple percussion.  The lyrics are spare too, understated throughout.  There are some nice melodies which often take more than one listen to creep into your head.  “Dark Side of the Moon” (number 4) was featured on NPR’s “All Songs Considered” and is one of the stronger tracks.  Try numbers 1 and 3 also.  Numbers 7 and 9 are a little rockier.