Kevin Tihista's Red Terror: Don't Breathe A Word (2001)

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Kevin Tihista has released a number of excellent albums, both under his own name and as Kevin Tihista's Red Terror. The music ranges from hushed and largely acoustic to more expansive orchestral pop, comparable to Elliott Smith or the Pernice Brothers. (There's another Smith parallel -- just as Smith had started out playing thrashier alt.rock with Heatmiser before spinning off in a much quieter direction as a solo artist, Tihista had gotten his start with Chicago ...