(Beggars Banquet) www.beggars.com

John Darnielle has always been too good to be a folkie-tinged singer-songwriter; his eye for detail and strong characterizations belong in a short story collection. After abandoning his lo-fi experiments of the ‘90s, his post-millennium records have focused on an imaginary battling couple and his own tortured life. This time out, the songs were not only written at different locales but also reflect that in their settings, including California, Brooklyn, China, the Deep South, Portland and Berlin. Everywhere he goes, Darnielle’s overcome by the heat and bitter relationships. But from the angry, piano-tingled title song to the desperate, devastating "Craters of the Moon" ("I can't live like this anymore!") to the bloody flash-rock of "Lovecraft in Brooklyn," he channels his anger and romantic disappointment into grist for some of his strongest songs in a while. Just be glad that he lives out in his stunning noir fantasies in songs instead of going postal.

Standout tracks: "Lovecraft in Brooklyn," "Heretic Pride" JASON GROSS