And Maxwell didn't rely on AutoTune (the sound-doctoring software) to create these elaborate, Marvin Gaye-style vocal chorales.

NPR: Maxwell Takes Soul Back To Basics

Muhly handles this lurid story with thoughtfulness and compassion: plaintive chorales and brooding ostinatos suggest the sadness and the loneliness lurking within the electronic global village.

NEWYORKER: The Long Haul