Please don't confuse this full-length with Paul Brill's recent seven-song EP of the same name. Whereas that sister release (get it?) was a low-key acoustic snack, this eleven-song set is nothing short of an eclectic pop feast. Leaving behind most of the Elliot Smith-isms of his previous work, NYC-based singer/songwriter Brill has put together a rich, far-reaching assortment of songs, very much in tune with the literate sensibility and full-bodied production of Ron Sexsmith and Michael Penn.

Brill hasn't entirely left his alt-country leanings behind; witness the rollicking, fiddle-enhanced opener "Begin At The End", or the comforting bluegrass stomp of "For The Sake of Marjorie Ruth". Neither is Sisters devoid of stripped-down, folk-friendly arrangements, as evidenced by "Blue Blanket", an acoustic guitar and voice number. However, it would seem foolish to relegate Brill to those two categories, as the bulk of the album touches upon what is starting to look like an impressive, ever-expanding range. "Macon" delightfully crosses horns and string-flavored Southern swing with infectious snatches of pedal steel, while accordion, tuba, cello and an oom-pah-pah beat give "Spit and Spite" a lithe, carnivalesque air. "Westering" even gets all its late-Beatles accents right (including a muffled vocal breaking out into a marvelous falsetto at the chorus) without sounding derivative; it comes off like a choice Ben Folds Five song with guitars in place of the piano.

You might worry that all of those additional instruments could leave Sisters feeling overstuffed. Fortunately, arrangements both supple and clever prevent this from happening. Tracks like "Favorite Thing" and "Something To Get Along" lead off with one or two lone elements (an echoing drumbeat in the former, Brill's vocal and guitar in the latter). As other touches, such as clarinet, organ or balalaika, are gradually introduced, they solidify in unanticipated but harmonious ways. Take the latter song: the guitar, clanging percussion and balalaika, all introduced separately, eventually bounce off one another, yet still sound as if they belong together.

As for highlights...well, how can you pick just a few? There's barely a weak track here, from the charming, brisk strut of "Macon" to the electric guitar-fortified chamber pop of "Barefoot In The Snow". And I wouldn't want to leave out the aforementioned "Westering", or the exultant but modest "Skylight" (with the opening line, "I woke up with a face full of gravel marks"), or even the credible Stax and (blue-eyed) Philly soul pastiche of "Two Stars". Effortlessly catchy, intelligent, unpretentious, and consistent, Sisters is an all-around superb album.