Faces in the Rocks

As fall descends and chills your mood, wrap yourself in this album straight out of Nevada City. Warm, inviting and hauntingly beautiful, Mariee Sioux is the best thing we’ve heard out of Northern California in a long time. The play of her sweet, breathy voice with the rich resonance of her guitar feels ancient and spiritual, as if a call to interconnection with the Earth. Faces in the Rocks also features Native American influence, with contributions from Grammy-nominated flutist Gentle Thunder. That might sound contrived with any other voice, but here they create a complexity that seems nature-driven. Sioux’s father, well-known mandolinist Gary Sobonya, also adds to the disc. (The two played together at the Great American Music Hall earlier this year.) The songs are tactile, like letting a cold stream run over your body or the wind through your hair. Just be careful not to let their beauty lull you to sleep, as Sioux sings every song slowly and sweetly, like nature’s lullaby.