England's Ed Harcourt -- a former chef and member of the defunct indie rock outfit Snug -- progressed from bass guitar to a number of instruments (including piano/keyboards, guitar, banjo, and drums) during his prolific, genre-hopping solo career. A fan of Tom Waits and Jeff Buckley, he launched his diverse career at the age of 23. Harcourt's marriage of dreamland Americana and England's South Coast quickly attracted a devout fan base, and Harcourt spent the better part of the 2000s on EMI's roster, releasing unique albums whose tracks veered between orchestrated anthems, minimalist ballads, and Brit-pop nuggets.
Maplewood, the singer/songwriter's solo debut, sounds like a work in progress.