Thao Nyugen of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down has taken a solid risk with her latest, A Man Alive. Ever poignant with her lyrics, this time around Nyugen enters personal territory, singing about her father abandoning her when she was young. The San Francisco artist teamed up with fellow Bay Area pioneer Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards, creating a musical palette that is daring, ripping apart the folk-pop of her previous efforts at the seams. Fans of Garbus will find the album's rhythmic movement, war chants, and electronic influences familiar territory. Yet at the core of it all is Nyugen's confessional tone that bravely yells out, calling to her legions to sing along and claim a voice of their own: "I'll show you the mettle I'm made of." JENI WREN STOTTRUP Also see My, What a Busy Week!