Cole Guerra’s Scarves & Knives wants to be heard in the dark, without distractions. Co-produced by Guerra and J.D. Foster (Richard Buckner, Marc Ribot, Laura Cantrell), the album’s collaborative handiwork rewards active listening. Sinuous melodies fasten together chords and keys that might otherwise be off-putting neighbors. Sparse lyrics allude, rather than announce. Meticulous arrangements, by turns naked and textured, dress the songs in distinct, yet matching, outfits.

Those outfits were stitched in part by an all-star lineup of contributing musicians, including Steve Goulding (drums - The Mekons, Graham Parker, Poi Dog Pondering, Elvis Costello), Dave Schramm (guitar - Yo La Tengo, Freedy Johnston, Kate Jacobs), Ted Reichman (accordion, keys - Paul Simon, Marc Ribot, John Hollenbeck), Frank London (trumpet - David Byrne, Ben Folds Five, John Zorn), and co-producer J.D. Foster (bass - Patty Griffin, Syd Straw, Dwight Yoakam).

Scarves & Knives marks Guerra’s national debut (Cleave Recordings/Carrot Top Distribution) and a career change several years in the making. Born and raised in southeast Michigan, Guerra relocated to central North Carolina to attend a clinical psychology doctoral program. Not long after the move, Guerra began periodically retreating to a friend’s recording studio. While enrolled as a student, he quietly released a collection of songs (All This and More) through stores in his Michigan and Carolina hometowns. Critics in those locales responded well. Metro-Detroit’s The Observer & Eccentric said of the 2001 release, “It’s contagious music, the kind that spins around you with flecks of wit and heartfelt exasperation at love and life,” while Ann Arbor’s Michigan Daily billed Guerra as “a remarkable songwriter.” North Carolina writers were similarly disposed, describing the album as “smart… its melodies have staying power” (The Spectator), “beautiful, maddening, driving, and hook-happy” (Independent Weekly), and calling it “a beautiful collection of dark pop-rock” (Cary News).

After receiving his master’s degree, Guerra began to tour more widely, opening shows for the likes of Amy Rigby, David Mead, Jay Bennett, Amy Correia, Matt Nathanson and Freedy Johnston. During this period, Cole met producer/bassist J.D. Foster. Within days of their initial encounter, they began laying the foundation for the album that would become Scarves & Knives.