Gabriel Birnbaum :: Perfect Again

How do you not love a record called Patron Saint of Tireless Losers? On his second proper solo LP, Wilder Maker’s Gabriel Birnbaum swirls in a kaleidoscope of symphonic psych-pop and folky strummers. Don’t be fooled by Birnbaum’s shaggy dog drawl and easygoing melodies—there’s plenty of movement here, surprises lurking in the song’s untidy corners. Sure, ambling acoustics and Beach Boys-ready harmonies abound, but on the album’s best track, the electric piano-dappled “Perfect Again,” barrels forward like a train.