José González: In Our Nature

Last year's collaboration between José González and Zero 7 on an electro-lounge version of González's "Crosses" hinted at how flexible the Swedish singer-songwriter can be, and had some fans wondering whether he'd move from minimalist neo-folk into a new, more expansive direction. Alas, no. In Our Nature follows closely in the footsteps of González's stunning debut album Veneer, serving up more droning lo-fi acoustic ballads built on intricate finger-picking, light instrumental shading, and González's winningly wistful voice.

The major differences concern subject matter and tone, both of which are noticeably heavier on In Our Nature. González seems preoccupied with human impulses—particularly violent ones—and nearly all of the songs on the record have an urgent, in medias res feel, as though someone switched on the tape after González had been playing for a while, and worked himself up to a high level of intensity. Nevertheless, In Our Nature is every bit as lovely as Veneer, obscuring its darker moods in music as delicately bewitching as a morning mist.