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Whether leading the now defunct roots trio Grant Lee Buffalo or flying solo, Grant-Lee Phillips moves effortlessly from literate pop to sultry glam rock to introspective folk with a soulful voice not unlike Michael Stipe‘s. Little Moon‘s low-key tunes are charmingly optimistic. Few artists could exclaim, “What a fine day” (“Good Morning Happiness”) or, “Cherish what you’ve got” (“Older Now”) without coming off as a clueless dope, but Phillips has the finesse to make such simple sentiments seem downright profound.