You might be familiar with Mascott's Kendall Jane Mead from her days as one third of Juicy, or from her time with Helium or the Spinanes. But chances are you don't actually know her. After listening to Follow the Sound, you'll feel like you do.

Follow the Sound seems to delight in confounding and exceeding expectations. Yes, on the surface it's another "girl with a guitar" album, but one that rarely follows predictable paths. If you're gritting your teeth and expecting to hear Kendall whine joylessly about messed-up relationships, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Her lyrics approach the world with a sense of wide-eyed fascination, lingering over words and images and leaving the emotional reactions to the listener. Sometimes they hide darker twists in their final moments; "History, As Planned", for instance, only reveals the meaning of its title at the end, offering a mild shock to listeners lulled by the moody undulations of its Spinanes-inspired chorus.

Despite being recorded in three cities and featuring a laundry list of guest artists and producers (upon which I'll comment further in a moment), Follow the Sound has a distinct New York feel. You sense that these small stories are playing out on a very large stage, with a huge and vivid world of extraneous details ditched in favor of intimate storytelling. This is best illustrated by "The Costume Ball", a grand story of a wished-for romantic connection that...well, sort of happens and sort of doesn't. The protagonist starts out bouncily, growing gradually more serious and introspective as she tries to convince herself that she got what she wanted. Most listeners will empathise.

Recorded mostly in Chicago and Brooklyn, Follow the Sound reads like an unlikely dinner party guest list. Jim O'Rourke brings his production know-how to the Chicago tracks, aided by such local luminaries as Sally Timms and Noel Kupersmith. If you think O'Rourke is a one-trick pony behind the board, these songs might change your mind; there's a "less is more" mindset at work here that's pleasingly direct. The Brooklyn work, which makes use of the Ladybug Transistor folks, Meade's LGM labelmates Stars, Black Beetle's Joan Wasser and others, steers a little bit further away from O'Rourke's clean, Nick Drake-y ethic, favoring a broader musical palette, denser melodies and, on "The Bells of Night", a faintly psychedelic vibe.

The disc closes with a gorgeous, simple cover of Steve Tilston's "I Really Wanted You". Unless you're relatively old or a devoted folk and/or Celtic music fan, you've probably never heard the song before, but I think you'll agree that it has an immediate impact. Recorded in Detroit with Shoestrings' Mario Suao, "I Really Wanted You" makes the perfect ending for this lovely album.

If you approach Follow the Sound looking for giggly girl power or acerbic lyrical conceits, you're going to come away empty-handed. This is an album for tea-drinking -- the sort of thing you play on the little CD player you keep out on your enclosed porch, or listen to while walking through the park and admiring the fall colors. It's pretty music, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. There's no better time than now to enjoy it.