(Neurot) www.neurotrecordings.com

More than any other aging punk rocker who’s felt the urge to strap on a hollow-body and belt out a few bare-bones numbers, Steve Von Till has shown that he’s easily able to drop the yoke of his “regular” band (Neurosis), but equally ready to make an acoustic album that refuses to conform to expectations. For his third solo disc, Von Till again indulges in stark, desolate soundscapes that are both sonically and lyrically evocative. Even though he takes the tried-and-true path of covering folk and country artists like Nick Drake, Townes Van Zandt and even Mickey Newbury, Von Till puts a distinct sonic stamp on these numbers and his original tunes that’s as ominous as the heaviest Neurosis track, but decidedly less claustrophobic. By refusing to adopt an unnatural twang or squeeze into an ill-fitting cowboy hat, Von Till again proves the fierce strain of individualism for which his main band is known.

Standout Tracks: “Valley of the Moon,” “Willow Tree” JASON FERGUSON