Veteran Canadian artist Lynn Miles has an American counterpart, Eliza Gilkyson, with whom Miles shares a large talent, strong self-written songs, an entrancing voice, a maturity of vision and a deep grounding in folk and country music. There are other accomplished singer-songwriters in the world, of course, but Miles and Gilkyson occupy a space not quite like any other.

An all-acoustic project co-produced by Miles and Dave Draves, the oddly titled tumbleWeedyWorld, counts no wasted cuts among the 10 numbers and 37 minutes Miles offers up in an album whose themes -- gloomy introspection and break-up lamentation, in significant part -- could have been an assembly of cliches. But not here. Miles' latest has its own, deceptively modest sound, succeeding through the smartness of the lyrics and the beauty of the melodies. No two songs resemble each other, or -- except in a broad, general way -- most anybody else's for that matter. Some will give you no choice but to stop whatever you're doing and lose yourself for the next few minutes. Be assured that you will not be bored, and your intelligence will not be insulted.

The two most likely to hit you the hardest on initial exposure are "Hwy 105" and "Palomino." The former is shaped by Rob McLaren's low-key oldtime banjo, effectively accenting the song's spooky, noirish quality under the more-traveled surface of romantic regret. The latter takes its inspiration from "Palomino Pal of Mine," popularized by Roy Rogers in the singing-cowboy era. This one, though, is for grown-ups, and it's not really about a horse.

Another listening, and other songs sneak up on you. One is "Johnny Without June," far more powerful than its title, which in the hands of a Nashville hack would only have presaged exploitative awfulness. "Sorry's Just Not Good Enough" reminds me of the country music I grew up hearing, the sort of thing that keeps some residual affection for the genre alive in my heart and ear even after decades of Music City fan abuse.

Miles hasn't created the most ambitious or spectacular album you'll hear in 2023, but it will remain among the most listenable, likely to keep spinning in your head for longer than you'll have anticipated. Maybe you'll wonder if it's a tumbleWeedyWorld after all.

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