Husband: Husband

Australian Michael Paolino (Carl Fox, Luna Parade) emerges with four dark songs on Husband that meld elements of Roxy Music, Nick Cave and even American country music. In “Willow Tree” Paolino sings “Don’t give up on us baby” in a voice that makes it sound like as much of a threat as a plea. His Cash-ian sneer on “Ordinary” is equally unsettling, as are his turns on “Invitation” and “Come Home”. If this EP isn’t immediately overwhelming, its charms grow upon the listener with subsequent spins, especially “Invitation”, on which Paolino manages to sound like a peak-era Glenn Danzig striding into a pop masterpiece written by Chris Isaak.