This is my favorite type of quietish music: busy. These songs are rarely loud, but the music burbles intricate patterns constantly. Add to that Jean-Paul Vest's moderately reedy vocals (think late-60s Neil Diamond, though with less cheese), and you've got a real winner.

Last Charge of the Light Horse Nine Kinds of Happy (Curlock and Jalaiso)

Years and years ago, I really like a band called the Hungry Mind Review. Those folks hailed from Wilmington, N.C. (and not Long Island, where LCotLH calls home), but they cast the same active, ruminative spell. I'm not a big lyrics person, but I sure do notice when they're used as effectively as they are here. Vest plays off the vocals and the music, enhancing the power of both.

As inviting an album as I've heard in some time. From the first notes, these songs invite the listener in for an intimate chat. If you sink into that comfy chair, you might not get up again this evening.

Make no mistake, either: This is evening music. This isn't grab-your-coffee-and-go stuff. This isn't the soundtrack to your spinning class. This is a cup of tea with a 15-year-old scotch chaser. Sophisticated, but with bite.

Vest and company have been making these albums for a while, and they sound like they know what they're doing. Go ahead and sink into that chair. The hangover will be most gentle.

Jon Worley