The bigger the world gets, the smaller it seems. Take for instance, German alt-rockers Black Swift. I was first introduced to them when my band opened for them on a show of one of their American tours, only to find that the lead singer, Sally Grayson, grew up a short drive away from my hometown.

Then, last week, she embarked on a solo tour that stopped in my living room (alongside ex-Sixpence None the Richer/Velour 100 alum Tess Wiley). It was there, stripped away from the fuzzy guitars and leather jacket drums, that the power of her voice and songwriting became inescapable.

To be clear, her voice and the arrangements aren’t in opposition on wax. Our first shared show had poor live sound, which tainted the experience. But the recorded versions are masterfully crafted, with the help of legendary producer Sylvia Massy, whose resumé includes diverse names like Prince, Tool, Foo Fighters, Showbread(?!?) and freaking Johnny Cash. Her sonic mastery elevates every song on the disc, and every sound serves the sound, no matter how scuzzy the guitars get.

At their barest essence, these are folk songs, rooted in blues and gospel with all of the hope, despair, and longing that comes with them. The most common image is that of rain in a dry land, with both Grayson and the lead guitars wailing desperately. The structures are often meditative, circling back to the refrain like prayers. Water itself becomes a symbol for love, hope, peace—all good things, essentially. And in such tumultuous times as these, the thirst is relatable.

While all four songs on the disc are super solid, the standouts are the first and last tracks (first and second on the vinyl). “Downpour” is a foot-stompin’, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club-like jam, while “The Answer” is a somber, desert-dry psych-rock tune. Yet both maintain the same core of hope in the midst of despair—as does the whole record, and as does the bulk of Sally Grayson’s output, both with Black Swift and on her own. And with both the rock and roll rebellion of her band and the sonic wizardry of Sylvia Massy, these songs amplify that spirit with a megaphone.