Birdie Hilltop’s album The Sorrow was a completely random download this week — but unlike most random downloads, this one was an awesome surprise.

MP3: Birdie Hilltop – The Sorrow
Birdie Hilltop’s record is lo-fi acoustic pop that’s as honest as they come. “The Sorrow” is just him, an acoustic guitar and some instrument so lightly in the background that I can’t place it (cheap keyboard? quiet accordion?) But the song’s just fantastic. He sings this one in a way that I’d describe as “deflated optimism” — like he’s smiling through the pain.

Birdie Hilltop on Myspace