Mikal Cronin possess the uncanny knack for penning effortless-sounding pop gems. On his fourth record, Seeker, he mines his self-introspection and the comeback from a bad case of writer’s block with convincing aplomb, conjuring Tom Petty melodies on the single “Show Me” with help from Ty Segall’s Freedom Band (of which he is a card-carrying member). There’s a lot of inferno-inspired writing coming out of California following last year’s devastating wildfires, and Seeker is no different, exploring ideas of rebirth from destruction. Cronin seems a gentle soul armed with the ability to pull wisdom from a chaotic world. by Ryan J. Prado