Alejandro Rose-Garcia has been winning over music fans and critics over the past few years, without every having a record put out by a label. Now that he’s done most of the heavy lifting, Dualtone got behind him to put out his new full-length, And The War Came. Shakey Graves signature sound of a man alone with his guitar in the middle of nowhere is alive and well in a lot of spots on the album, but he’s joined to great success by Esmé Patterson on three songs. There’s also some nifty production beyond the couple of tracks fans might be used to. With the help of producer Chris Boosahda, Rose-Garcia has achieved a very rich, textured sound that doesn’t betray his anti-folk roots.

I was pretty late to the party when it comes to Shakey Graves, but I certainly understand the hullabaloo. He’s a great songwriter, and he sings with the raw emotional power of a million burning suns. Still, it’s the tunes where he’s joined by Patterson that I enjoy the most on And The War Came. Specifically, “Dearly Departed” stands out as a high point. It is at once the most accessible song on the record and also the one that transcends genre the most. Is it a pop ballad? A country campfire sing-a-long? In all honesty, it’s both of those things and a great many more.

Another track that really sets itself apart from the rest of the record is “Family And Genus.” Deep bass and synths kick off the track, and it blends the acoustic guitar and beats to great results.

And The War Came was released a few days ago, and you can pick it up right here for $10. A tour is in the works, and he’ll be hitting a ton of cities, including Chicago on December 3rd at Lincoln Hall (SOLD OUT!).