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Soft folk songs swirl and ebb on Tired Love, the sophomore release from THE AUTUMN PORTRAIT (aka Freddie Mojallal). This release is the second studio album for the singer/songwriter and by far the most introspective – Mojallal has succeeded in creating a piece of work that revels in its simplicity. It’s the bare songwriting that is on a pedestal here.

Tired Love showcases the kind of music that evokes a strong mood in the listener. It’s heartfelt and vulnerable, and it perfectly straddles the line between being well-produced and polished while still exposing the raw emotion behind the songs. The fact that this can be achieved with such minimal instrumentation – primarily just acoustic guitar – is a real testament to the songwriting skills at play here.

Specifically interesting is the progression from Mojallal’s first release, 2010′s The Design is Over. There is a strong movement towards paring down the music – The Design is Over has a much more traditional guitar/drums/bass instrumentation compared to Tired Love. The change to such bare-bones writing from an album of thicker arrangements can be a dangerous one, but it paid off well; the songs on this new effort are much more memorable.

If you’re a fan of softer music that paints a picture to the listener, this is the album for you.

You can catch THE AUTUMN PORTRAIT tonight at The Cameron House as part of Indie Week. The live show brings violin and percussion along for the ride, don’t miss it!