Damien Jurado - On My Way to Absence (2005)

On My Way to Absence continues on the similar delicate path that Jurado paved starting with Where Shall You Take Me?, with subtle differences. Jurado seems to broaden his palette with which to express this dark business of life on On My Way to Absence -- lush strings swirl underneath tracks like "White Center" and "Night Out for the Downer," while the use of minimal electronics, keyboards, and samples creeps up on tracks like "Big Decision" and "A Jealous Heart Is a Heavy Heart." All of this is sequenced next to the stripped-down and melancholy rock tracks that Jurado is known for, the dark confessional "Fuel" and the raw "I Am the Mountain" being the best examples. On My Way to Absence offers many new areas of musical exploration, suggesting a more mature arranger in Damien Jurado mingling with the wonderfully sad storyteller and vivid landscape painter that he is already known for on previous releases.