Ari Picker felt exhausted and burned out by Lost In The Trees’ A Church That Fits Our Needs. The 2012 album memorialized Picker’s mother, who committed suicide in 2008. The project was deeply personal and deeply ambitious. It made many critics’ 2012 top-10 lists (including the top spot for the Wall Street Journal), and it led the North Carolina band to appear at New York’s Lincoln Center for the American Songbook Series. But the tour that preceded that show was fraught with challenges: Rock clubs weren’t the ideal venues for the band’s delicate dynamics and string arrangements for cellos and violins. After all that, Picker questioned his desire to make another album. But he has made another. Past Life (Anti-) jettisons many of Church’s identifying markers: It’s abstract and impressionistic rather than overtly personal, and it’s minimalist rather than maximalist. Picker will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Lost In The Trees feature.

Picker: I fell in love with Neutral Milk Hotel in the early aughts, long after they had played their last show and Jeff had gone into the songwriter abyss. After playing both NMH records to death, I discovered this live album of Jeff playing solo in front of a small group of friends. The lo-fi minimalism only empower Mangum’s songs. From dialing in his jangly guitar sound, the child screaming in the background and his candid, self-deprecating introductions to half-written songs that “probably will never get released” (“Two Headed Boy”) give a haunted and clear insight to Jeff’s songs, his voice and relationship with his audience and friends. Jeff is certainly the anti-rock star. Songs like “Naomi” and “Baby For Pree” are more direct and poignant than the album versions, and his cover of Phil Spector’s “I Love How You Love Me” is fantastic. When Jeff started playing again, I was extremely fortunate to play his ATP fest and get to see his set several times. Seeing Jeff solo is mesmerizing, and Jittery Joe’s captures this beautifully. It’s my go-to album when I need a NMH fix.