With sixth album Muchacho, Matthew Houck returns to some of the experimental textures that marked his early breakthrough album Pride, weaving ambient tones and feral whoops throughout his sometimes shiny, sometimes grizzled Americana. Although Houck uses more electronic instruments here than he did on most previous Phosphorescent material, his simple but haunting chord progressions and world-weary melodies always override any other sonic surroundings. The songs here are so strong, in fact, they're sometimes cluttered by excessive instrumentation or detail-burying production. But despite the sometimes heavier-than-necessary arrangements, Muchacho has some of Houck's best songwriting since his early days, seemingly tapped into the grainy pain, hard-living tendencies, and wandering muse of his subconscious with the most listenable results Phosphorescent has produced in years. ~ Fred Thomas