Paul Brill’s old pagan love songs were pretty orthodox—his fey melodies and lovelorn lyrics traced the contours of the battered heart, but were too generic to find purchase. This new disc finds Brill streamlining. Where he once over-emoted, now he slinks and slithers; where once existed only mawkish chords, now there are sinewy rhythms and supple electronics. Cardiac arrest this man! By reining in his sentimentality, Brill has finally learned how to pierce the listener’s ventricles.