In early 2014, Brooklynite Henry Crawford released the palpably moving ‘Wendy’ under the moniker Small Wonder. Taking inspiration from the tale of Peter Pan, the indie-pop effort balanced the intimacy of Youth Lagoon’s ‘The Year of Hibernation’ and the stateliness of Golden Suits’ self-titled debut while displaying Crawford’s own gentle power. On songs such as the alternately calm and explosive “Patron Saint of Pretty Faces” (streaming below), the songwriter sings of a lover’s lasting impact with a directness that makes his struggle towards peace that much more involving. That’s the triumph of Crawford: as with all engaging storytellers, you really see, and feel, the unraveling humanity. Small Wonder plays at The Knitting Factory on Monday june 15). – Zach Weg
