Singer/songwriter AM isn't a stranger to having left his musical mark right under your nose; his last LP Troubled Times had every track licensed to all sorts of projects on television and film, an impressive feat not done since Moby's mega-hit Play. With that kind of cred, AM has already proven a strong viability with most any audience, but without the necessary weight that comes in being a well-recognized mainstay. That's about to change with his latest LP Future Sons & Daughters, a fully developed snapshot of AM in the context of, not just the single, but the lost art of the album. Produced by Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields), this lush and multi-faceted pop work is a testament to AM's love of retro radio, analog warmth and laser-precise melodies. Nods range from '60s Detroit to '70s Philly, but intends to be current with a modern palette in production.  Highlight track "Fortunate Family Tree" revives roots melody awash with steady organs, loose snares and hallucinatingly wavey lead guitar lines, all signs that this is a worthy trip to a past sound, sans the cringing generally associated in homage attempts. This is pop music for the refined ear, or, rather, the ear that remembers what pop music was really always supposed to be. -Hugo Gomez