Ana Egge - Bright Shadow (2015)

This album is like honey and half-and-half in your coffee. Pour it over some ice and be quiet. Stop analyzing. Stop reacting. Just be. Ana Egge's music reminds us what the essentials of being human are -- love, laughter, warmth and good people around us. The backing band and the spare arrangements let us hear Ana unadorned. It's like hearing her pure "voice" (as opposed to just her velvety real voice) for the first time - a mature artist delivering on the promise of her highest self. This album puts small children to sleep, the adults into a relaxed state of post-basketball conference bliss and the rest of us into a higher awareness of music, love and life. Go ahead. Pour the honey all over.