The music created by Florida native and North Carolina resident Tracy Shedd calls to mind the work of fellow singer-songwriter Laura Veirs, plaintive and pretty but also packing a sizable emotional wallop. Shedd's latest, Arizona, released in fall 2013 via Sunshine State indie New Granada, found her stripping away the studio affectations in favor of a largely acoustic, wholly straightforward sort of slow burn. Featuring contributions from notables Ivan Howard (of The Rosebuds) and Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, the record highlighted Shedd's deceptively powerful vocals and knack for incisive phrase-turning like none of her albums had to that point. Shedd has lived quietly but persistently on the indie fringes for over a decade; expect the stunning Arizona to propel her to a more centric space.