The Deep Dark Woods' new album is an exercise in understatement, showcasing a band who clearly knows what they're doing, and simply keeps getting better at doing it, paradoxically making it seem more and more effortless with each release. These nine gorgeous, mesmerizing tracks combine sturdy, heartfelt songwriting with sparkles of tiny, luminescent detail tucked into every corner of this album's sonic landscape. Shadowy and inviting, The Circle Remains sounds like the band playing in a darkened, fireplace-lit wood cabin in the middle of the night, and you're right there with them in a well-worn armchair.

As always, The Deep Dark Woods' music exists in a proud continuum of songwriting, but this is a band whose influences can be felt more than heard. The spirit of the '60s and '70s hovers around the perimeter at all times, but truly only in spirit: there is no aping here, just an enviable ability to conjure that same world-weary-but-hopeful sound that, for instance, Levon and company patented across The Band's early '70s masterpieces. And that era leans heavily on the sonic palette of The Circle Remains as well; in a welcome detour from the trends of so much contemporary music, there is nothing about the album that screams “2025”. This “out of time” aspect can be attributed to their influences of course, but also to the analog tape-heavy recording process the band and producer David Parry (Alice Phoebe Lou, Loving) favoured for this album. And it makes perfect sense, adding a burnished quality to the album's sound and placing a premium on the considerable abilities of these musicians.

A passing listen to the voice of The Deep Dark Woods' frontman Ryan Boldt may find one drawing comparisons to some of the other titans of this strain of intimate, personalized songwriting that emerged in the during the '90s “indie folk” scenes, but the more one listens, it becomes apparent that Boldt has carved out his own niche in this rarefied realm. His singing (which is often coated with the gentle spectre of good old-fashioned analog tape delay) is lilting and mellifluous, imbuing a floating, mercurial element to the performances, but it's also playful, each line gently teasing out the edges of his melodies.

While the general tone and timbre of the album is one of a well lived-in piece of clothing, there are a few songs on The Circle Remains that provide a few perhaps unexpected ear-catching moments.“Can't Keep From Singing” opens with a washy delay trail that would not sound out of place on a classic psych-folk album, then slides into one of those wily chord progressions that gently bends the mind a bit when first heard, but after repeat listens becomes absolutely crucial to the vibe of the song. “Golden Petal” revels in its three-quarter-time lope, glimpsing moments of pure, unadorned groove and a few swooping slide guitar smears from Evan Cheadle.

“Circle Remains Unbroken” sidles out of the gates with a deliciously restrained palette of tasty, deep-pocket drumming (courtesy of the great Mike Silverman, also of Kacy & Clayton fame), a perfectly locked-in bass line, and one of the most gossamer-like vocal performances Boldt committed to tape for this album. As the song progresses, a variety of keyboards enter surreptitiously, filling up towards the final moments of the song, before it fades away as elegantly as it began.

While The Circle Remains can be easily lauded for its effortlessly cohesive sound and focused temperament, the album's wildcard, without a doubt, is the magisterial keyboard playing of longtime member Geoff Hillhorst, whose deft touch moves between wonky, Garth Hudson-style organ moves (on “Sweet Grows The Fruit”, for instance) and lush, understated piano work throughout the album. On “Traded In Your Name”, Hillhorst alternates between sounding like he's learning the song on the fly, filling in holes with a jazz improviser's elegance and grace, and a moment later like he's lived in it for years, judiciously highlighting and supporting Boldt's delicate vocal melodies.

For both neophytes and the converted alike, The Circle Remains will be an easy point of entry for the uninitiated, and it will certainly provide another proof-positive for the longtime fan.