With the gorgeous Befriended, The Innocence Mission proves once and for all that it’s truly all about reaching the listener. The pop-folk group, built around the songwriting core of vocalist Karen Peris and guitarist Don Peris, has a personal approach that’s long been missing from both folk and popular music. You may have become convinced once that an artist wrote a song about you; The Innocence Mission makes you feel as if that song is being sung directly into your ear.

    Karen’s vocals are delicate and heartbreakingly open, and husband Don puts her well in front of the melody, though his chiming guitars are every bit as emotional. They make every song a treasure—sad songs that make you happy, happy songs that help you breathe. “When Mac Was Swimming” is as good as a phone call from a friend (“Nobody knows, darling / Nobody knows how they are loved”) for saving a dark mood, while “Walking Around” is practically as good as physical therapy for the downtrodden (“You know I’ve had enough of this trouble following me high and low”).

    Musically, The Innocence Mission has always walked nearly the same line as Mazzy Star and The Sundays, but with every album, the group makes the comparison seem less fair. Befriended isn’t so much an album as a herald of autumn—a soundtrack for short days, cool nights and long walks into the setting sun.