With the opening strings on “Yellow Moon,” singer-songwriter J.G. Wood declares that Grund is an album that is function over fashion —something urgent and intimate. On “The Glass Clown,” Wood ruminates on how we damage ourselves with anger, singing “History writes the song / While the seething seals our fate.” “Age Mellowed Me” is a warm, heartfelt track. It’s that pattern that Grund follows  — punctuating heavier moments with calmer, more contemplative meditations. Wood channels the greats like Townes Van Zandt, or even his contemporary, Will Oldham, showcasing his craft both in terms of his lyricism and his exemplary work on the guitar. —Syd Bishop