Josh Amberson—who released Redux—described it in an email to me as “a cool collision of disparate worlds,” because it’s a collection of songs Dao Strom wrote over eighteen years ago when she was in the Austin alt-country scene and just recently re-recorded them in an ambient-folk style. In spite of the album’s spare nature, nothing about Redux allows for a fade into the background. Its quietude, instead, creates an immersive mood. Its soft vocals, reverb guitars, and washes of found sounds—like the lapping of waves on the beach—transmute the listener into a focused respite, pleasantly holding them there until the very last song. It’s perfect for a rainy day or a contemplative mood. –Craven Rock (Antiquated Future)