Who'd've thunk that Thalia Zedek, whose previous projects have included the likes of the dirgey, bluesy post-punk of Come and the pure sonic assault of Live Skull, could turn around and create an album this subtle and beautiful? Been Here and Gone is Zedek's first solo effort; it evolved out of a series of live shows that she played with pianist Beth Heinberg and viola player David Michael Curry. These shows, which originally consisted mostly of covers of songs by artists as diverse as Leonard Cohen, Alex Chilton and the Ramones, elicited a very strong, positive response from audiences. With that encouragement, Zedek decided to try her hand at writing some of her own songs in this new, more laid-back style. Taking the aforementioned Heinberg and Curry, as well as former Come guitarist Chris Brokaw, drummer Daniel Coughlin and pianist Mel Lederman into the studio with her, Zedek set about making a record to document these new songs.

The results are nothing short of stunning. To be honest, I was never a fan of any of Zedek's former bands -- they were always just a bit too sludgy and murky for me to appreciate. However, in this new context, stripped of sonic debris, Zedek's songwriting and arranging skills reveal themselves to be extremely impressive. The album draws many cues from Leonard Cohen; in addition to covering one of his songs ("Dance Me to the End of Love"), she also models a song after one of his -- the opening "Excommunications (Everybody Knows)" not only shares a parenthetical title with Cohen's "Everybody Knows", but also overlaps some lyrics and melodic motifs -- and the album as a whole is similar in tone to his torchy, intimate offerings.

While the disc maintains a sleepy, laid back vibe, there is still plenty of tension and release to be had. The nearly seven-minute-long "Desanctified (Full Circle)" starts out with a spare, bluesy, ominous guitar figure, which slowly builds into a full-band effort, filled out magnificently with swirling viola and crashing drums. When Zedek delivers the song's key line -- "Grace, did you desert me/just 'cause I was flirting with the past" -- in her strong, gravelly alto, the regret is palpable.

In addition to the Cohen cover, Zedek also covers two more obscure tunes -- the stark, haunting "1926", which was originally done by early '80s Boston band V, and bossa nova artist Luiz Bonfa's "Manha de Carnival". Interesting selections, to be sure, but to Zedek's credit, you wouldn't necessarily know that any of these tunes were covers unless you happened to look at the writing credits. "1926", in particular, ranks as one of the best tracks on the album. A ghostlike piano ballad with a lamenting chorus of "your god hates me", this song will stick with you like the residue of a particularly vivid dream.

There are many other standout tracks here -- "Back to School" and "Temporary Guest" are particularly noteworthy -- but the fact is that this is an end-to-end solid album without a weak track in sight. Been Here and Gone sets the perfect tone for a lonely night of introspection. Like the best work of fellow beautiful-gloom-mongers such as the aforementioned Leonard Cohen and Mark Eitzel, Zedek has created an album that, like a straight shot of bourbon, may not necessarily make you feel good, but will sure as hell make you feel better.