$14.98 (list price), Orchestrated Musical Collages, Asthmatic Kitty

Basic Story: Chris Schlarb, guitarist for I Heart Lung, releases his first solo record with the help of 50 collaborators including Sufjan Stevens and the Dirty Projectors.

Sample: "Find your place up in the stars/ today, today we fall from grace/ and what a peculiar life."

Verdict: I imagine that knowing the music of Chris Schlarb is equal to knowing the man himself - or, at least, knowing his former self. The hardships and sadness of his past loom throughout this 39 minute piece of continuously composed instrumentation which, despite having so many collaborators, is put together in an impressively cohesive manner. The cover art is a fitting reference point to the overall sound of the album, indicating its ability to easily send you into a daydream where colors are just as important as the music.