Whether it's interpreting Edgar Allan Poe or channeling Leonard Cohen, musing on the death of Virginia Woolf or imagining cities being dragged into the sea, Marissa Nadler's music finds beauty in starkly gothic terrain. Her new record is called Strangers, a title that refers to the spectral characters who appear and disappear throughout the songs. Oblique approaches to songwriting, including cut-and-paste techniques made famous by Bowie and Burroughs, are underscored by the singer's hypnotic, incantatory delivery. Hear solo versions of the new songs, and the stories behind the "strangers," by clicking on the player above. You can also watch a behind-the-control-room-glass video of Marissa's performance here.