I saw avant-pop duo The Fiery Furnaces perform an acoustic set a few months back at the Largo in L.A. and was immediately captivated. The first thing I thought about was the remarkable result of the brother and sisters' stripped-down set paired to their signature poetic lyrics.

"The cool affectation of Matt and Eleanor is gripping - they're clearly favoring their art over any commercial notion of entertaining that coerces objectification."

The second thing I thought was: "God I'm starving! What's for dinner?"

I had listened to albums by The Fiery Furnaces in the past. And like many artists, it took going to a live performance before I really understood what they're all about. I expressed interest on Twitter that night for a book of their lyrics to read. Like a changing green light at just the right moment before pause, I was thrilled to learn that there was in fact such a book.

Arty? Refreshingly so. Entertaining? You betcha. Spoken word tends to validate itself well, particularly so on paper.

I felt the same serendipitous happiness the moment I learned a debut album from Eleanor (who's part of The Fiery Furnaces) was well on it's way. I think I actually squealed when I saw the link, and squeaked something the opposite of arty as I waited for it to download.

And the debut doesn't disappoint. Last Summer is a brilliant piece of work that veers in a pop direction, perfectly fitting for a mid-summer release.

The overall mood is bright, while Eleanor reminisces on past experiences on songs like the opening track "My Mistakes" and "Inn of the Seventh Ray." The mood continues to stay melodic as each song ventures from one moment in time to the next.

The album is full of witty, subversive, and reworked lyrics, with occasional interplay of stepping chords and steady tempos we've come to know from her work in The Fiery Furnaces.

It's an enjoyable album from start to finish -- an excellent debut from an artist who lives up to the very meaning of the word.

Last Summer is out on Tuesday July 12.

Tracks by Eleanor Friedberger