Iron and Wine, The Shepherd's Dog

I just wanted to put in a good word for this new release. If you haven't heard the Woman King EP (also recommended), the sound may come as a surprise--his most layered and quirky instrumentation, a bit Sufjan-Stevens-esque--but the album is distinctly his own and terrific. A few tracks mask his quiet voice in vocal effects, but by and large the production is as immediate and intimate as on Our Endless Numbered Days. It's worth buying the vinyl, which also comes with a coupon for free MP3s of the album (okay, so it's MP3, but it's a nice gesture).

Incidentally, I wish more labels would do what Nonesuch did with Wilco's Sky Blue Sky and include a CD of the album with the LP.