1. Fred Thomas - Flood

A gorgeous, stripped-down effort from the ex-Portlander, Saturday Looks Good to Me frontman and king of sad acoustic pop. Turns of phrase and breaks of heart abound.

2. Dear Nora - Mountain Rock

Mountain Rock finds Dear Nora’s Katy Davidson exploring a myriad of melodic ideas. In the thick of it she sometimes sounds like an indie-rock Nico. Works for us!

3. Boat - Songs That You Might Not Like

Super-silly but also affecting. This is the more earnest of the band’s two full-lengths for MMR: More Pavement than Unicorns, though it sounds a bit like the child of both.

4. Tullycraft - Disenchanted Hearts Unite

Like a twee Destroyer, Tullycraft sings almost-too-clever pop that drops Murder City Devils references and actually uses the lyric “We’re the best band you’ve never heard.”

5. The Bats - At The National Grid

The 2005 comeback album from seminal New Zealand jangle-pop outfit the Bats is a chugging, melancholy gem that rivals the band’s best work. Kiwi rock at its finest.

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SEE IT: Dear Nora and Boat play the Magic Marker showcase Saturday at Someday Lounge. 9 pm. $10. 21+.