“Meiko”
Meiko, $8.99

Sometimes my X-chromosomes get the better of me, and I find myself prone to enjoying music like Meiko’s. It’s the kind of thing I have a hard time admitting publicly because (especially since the majority of my friends are male and/or music snobs) most people can’t relate and instead brand me a “total weenie,” or something to that effect. Not to my face (for the most part) but I know they’re thinking it.

Meiko makes pokey acoustic guitar pop. Playing a mix of folk and indie styles, she even works in little hints of country licks on a couple of tunes. Enjoying the music for many would probably involve focusing on the individual elements of each song rather than hearing them simply as the sum of their parts.

It also takes a certain mood. Meiko could have easily named her new album “Songs for a Jilted Lover,” as the tracklist basically leads the listener through the entirety of a doomed relationship. I can’t assume what the true meaning is behind each song, but from the point of view of someone who knows nothing of the singer’s personal life, I work with what I’m given. From the cautious and curious beginnings of budding love (“Reasons to Love You”) to taking her life back and snuffing out reminders of a guy who broke her heart (“Under My Bed”) Meiko doesn’t seem to have a difficult time expressing her feelings.

In the earnest “Piano Song,” she sings, “I’m jealous of the way they look, the way they are/ when I just want to be the way we were,” along with an electric keyboard. As pretty as it is, “Sleep” sounds like something I could do at home on Fruity Loops. But just because something is simple doesn’t at all imply that it’s bad. I mean, I don’t keep Top Ramen in my pantry just for its convenience. The song’s somber melody has a way of latching onto your consciousness, leaving you with an appetite for more.

My favorite track is “Said and Done.” Aside from the lyrics, the song (albeit short) is essentially a murder ballad. Her strumming guitar and vocal territory, intermittently interjected by a saucy, noir-style horn riff, paints a dreary picture. The sound of the instrumentation clearly represents the sentiment in her words.

Meiko is performing a 21 and over show at the Nectar Lounge in Seattle at 8 p.m. Aug. 25. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through TicketWeb.