Detroit rocker Stef Chura got a lot of attention for her 2017 debut album Messes, which merged her classic indie-rock guitar stylings (think Modest Mouse) with an imperfect singing voice that conveys a very tangible sense of both conviction and uncertainty (think Stevie Nicks). In June, she released her sophomore effort Midnight, and while it retains a lot of those good qualities, it also benefits from the production of Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo—a guy who knows something about turning lo-fi recordings into polished, efficient melody machines. Throughout Midnight, you can hear Toledo’s influence bubbling just under the surface, but it never overshadows Chura’s strong presence. In that way, they’re a perfect match.

by Ben Salmon