Dorothy Bird cares a lot about her arrangements. The immaculate care taken with the music behind her voice is obvious. And yet there is only one instrument of interest here: Bird's voice.

Dorothy Bird Belonging (Klee Music)

Her label would very much like to identify her music with the likes of Bjork and Thom Yorke. And certainly this isn't by-the-book British chanteuse pop. "Morning Train" Sheena Easton she ain't. And yet, that classic sound is very much an undercurrent here.

Bird sings her songs plainly. She doesn't contort her voice or twist it into new shapes. The music sometimes wanders into flights of fancy, but Bird's voice remains resolute. A better comparison might be the ethereal side of Kate Bush--without the histrionics.

One of the most compelling things about Bird's performance is her devotion to the songs. She trusts in their strength, and she doesn't try to oversell them. In many ways, she's walking multiple tightropes at once. In her very plainsung way, Bird spins stories of wonder. Sometimes the most astonishing sounds are those that come naturally. A work of quiet astonishment.

Jon Worley