Jolie Holland continues to move away from her Americana roots on her latest, Pint of Blood. Her voice is still a smoking, quavering payload of emotion, but the accompaniment features more prickly guitars and electric accompaniment. The band still tends to move at folksy, ambling tempos, but overall, Holland's fashioned a moody, more idiosyncratic sound on her last few albums. It's a similar trajectory to Neko Case, who broke out of a similar stylistic ghetto to showcase skills beyond the power of her voice. Opener David Dondero's a gifted songwriter. His ragged, windblown spirit and witty wordplay illuminate a sharp mind and ample heart. —Chris Parker