This Is Lorelei Box for Buddy, Box for Star LP (Blue Vinyl)

Since 2012, New York City singer-songwriter Nate Amos (Water From Your Eyes, My Idea) has recorded and self-released hundreds of songs under the This Is Lorelei moniker, and perhaps surprisingly, after a decade plus, Box for Buddy, Box for Star marks the first attempt at a traditional, intentionally written full-length album.

Amos describes the bulk of This Is Lorelei's discography as "unedited diary entries," written and recorded without much forethought, regard for genre or reverence for albums as thematic bodies of work, so oddly enough, Box for Buddy, Box for Star is both a fresh start and the culmination of years of diligent, interesting songwriting.

Box for Buddy, Box for Star embraces traditional pop songcraft and a confessional, carefully written brand of lyricism, dabbling in the kind of classic singer-songwriter cliches he never imagined toying with—but not without the counterbalancing force of shitpost-y irony, which listeners have come to expect from Amos.

Inspired by the gritty romanticism of Shane MacGowan and the Jim Croce mimicry of Tim Heidecker's "What the Brokenhearted Do…", the LP exudes both a grizzled charm and youthful intensity. Sonically, Amos adorns the record with quaint country gestures—a full-circle artistic choice for Amos whose father is a veteran bluegrass musician.

And it wouldn't be a Nate Amos release without a few curveballs, like "Dancing in the Club," a bouncy auto-tuned pop song, which he likens to Bruce Hornsby-via-Blink-182, or "Perfect Hand," an intimate piano-led track with vocal samples, alarm bell-like effects and skittering electronic beats. He also mischievously opens the album with a red herring of sorts, "Angel's Eye," a twangy sci-fi country duet about an angel who abducts a cowboy and unintentionally falls in love.

A keenly crafted and wonderfully adventurous set of songs, both earnest and appealingly funny.

Box For Buddy, Box For Star does what you wish all modern music would. Listening through makes for an endless joy of discovery with a handful of carefully placed and familiar way stations to guide your way. Whether country, pop, dance, folk, or some cobbled together hybrid, Amos' seeming ease in navigating his way through these 10 songs finds an artist at the peak of his powers.

Over the course of his discography, Amos has ricocheted between glitchy bedroom pop, soft folk balladry, rambly slacker rock, and noisy garage grunge. On Box For Buddy, Box For Star, he streamlines his focus without sacrificing his omnivorous sonic appetite.

Tight and polished yet brims with the same nimble energy as the rest of his formidably abundant discography. With Box For Buddy, Box For Star, Amos unlocks the key to his creative potential, drawing from the archive of great American sounds and songwriting and filtering what he discovers through his special, singular lens.

The weirdest – but catchiest – alt-country album of the year.