Taking time off between recording and touring with his bands June Of 44 and Shipping News, Jeff Mueller of Louisville, Kentucky has constructed an album of seven songs which range from delicate to intense and back again. Aside from the opener "Formed In Atoms" (tracked in Louisville), Fold And Perish was recorded at Jeff's home in Philadelphia using a Tascam portastudio and a single microphone to create an intimate ambience that has the closeness and gritty appeal of a Delta blues field recording.

Working with only his voice and a handful of guitars Jeff has crafted an album rich in emotion and a passion that can be felt from the very first listen. Like a musical sketchbook of sorts Fold And Perish sees Jeff exploring more straight forward, pared down songwriting than you might expect from a member of June Of 44. He has stripped his sound to the barest components. The result is a collection of songs that are almost painfully direct, possessed of an intimacy akin to eavesdropping on someone's most personal thoughts.

There are shades of Will Oldham's acoustic country-blues, of Jandek's fractured excursions, and perhaps the DIY spirit of the late Skip Spence, had he come from Kentucky. At first you may find the closeness of these songs unsettling but this sort of intimacy is something rare, something to treasure.