Cass McCombs

In a seemingly bottomless ocean of singer/songwriters, Cass McCombs is a true anomaly. Despite working in arguably the most overused form in American music, that of the guitar-toting singer/songwriter, McCombs manages to create music that sounds both refreshingly new and strangely nostalgic at the same time. On his earliest recordings, McCombs balanced seemingly autobiographical material with lyrics that were at times abjectly weird, and has since matured into one of America's finest and most sly songwriters. 2008's Dropping the Writ toyed with opaque narratives set against classic country and British folk song structures. In many ways, McCombs' music explores the same moody and melancholy version of Americana as that of fellow songsmiths M. Ward and Iron & Wine, but McCombs' records are much more mysterious affairs. Unlike many of his contemporaries, McCombs appears steadfastly reticent about his work. Leery of the spotlight and opposed to doing interviews, he is content to follow his own path and adamant about letting listeners come to their own conclusions regarding his intentions. Always unpredictable, McCombs tapped actress and cult legend Karen Black to duet with him on "Dream Come True Girl," the lead single from 2009's Catacombs, and to appear in the song's video.