There's something about Agnes Obel's songs that makes them feel almost tangible, as if they're sitting right next to you in glorious 3D. You can practically hear the air vibrate around them—they expand and contract like living, breathing beings. Ever since the release of her 2010 breakthrough Philharmonics (which went five times platinum in her native Denmark), Obel has constructed her exquisite avant-pop mostly out of playful piano melodies, uncomplicated guitar parts, dramatic string-section swells, and her own haunting vocals. The results are tastefully ornate, deeply personal, and undeniably catchy. As the genre boundaries of yesteryear continue to blur and disintegrate, Obel will be at the forefront of those exploring the spaces between folk, classical, and pop.

BEN SALMON