Between Dogs and Wolves

The title of Piers Faccini’s fifth album refers to a French expression for twilight: a fitting description for the low-lit, dreamy character of his latest release. Faccini displays a quietly masterful grasp of his craft, combining the archetypal language of British folk music with the understated elegance of classic European chansons. Listeners may find similarities to everyone from Leonard Cohen to Nick Drake here, though Faccini’s exquisite simplicity is distinctly his own. “Black Rose,” “Missing Words,” “Like Water Like Stone,\" and similar tunes are deeply affecting in their plainspoken words and poignant melodies. Faccini comes across as a wounded romantic, ruminating over heartaches on “Feather Light” and capturing a lonesome soul on “Girl in a Corner.” The balmy Mediterranean textures of “Reste la Maree” and “Il Cammino” dispel some of the melancholy clouds that hover over the album. Faccini’s velvety murmur of a voice is framed by sparse, evocative arrangements that feature his deft acoustic guitar picking and stark piano chords (as well as strings, marimba, and a little synthesizer).