Based in Seattle, singer/songwriter Damien Jurado can sometimes seem a bit of aloof, especially due to the fact that while he tends to point out life’s absurdities, he resists being pulled into any sort of quagmire. He wraps his sound in an atmospheric ambiance, underscored by hushed, haunting vocals and some decidedly understated arrangements.

An unabashed outsider, Jurado boasts an intriguing demeanor, shared courtesy of a sensual and seductive approach that challenges audiences to lean in and listen even as he keeps them at bay.

Still, such scenarios can make it  difficult to understand the understated irony. Not surprisingly, Jurado initiated his career in a decidedly lo-fi manner, courtesy of various self-released cassettes under the auspices of his own Casa Recordings. Over the course of a more than 30 year career, he’s produced some 30 albums — nine of which appeared in one form or another last year alone — and recorded for several leading indie labels, allowing his eccentric attitude to come across in such unlikely titles as Horses On The Runway, Sometimes You Hurt the Ones You Hate, I Lost My Wig, What’s New, Tomboy?, and The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania.

Jurado’s a curiosity of course, and even his concerts that promise his “greatest hits” are decidedly out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, Jurado’s a gem, and the allure he offers is entirely his own.