José González can mesmerize with a single verse—his vocals are just that exquisite. Tender, elegant, high-toned, quiet and soothing yet arresting, a melodically sublime caress to the ears. The Swedish singer-songwriter, nylon-stringed finger-style acoustic guitarist, and one-half of Swedish folk duo Junip pits those glorious pipes against sparse folk arrangements marked by gentle or sprightlier finger-picked guitar, his set list encompassing originals as well as gorgeous, stripped-down renderings of songs like Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” and the Knife’s “Heartbeats.” The whole “man and his guitar” shtick isn’t easy to pull off, but I’ve seen González do it, and his serene intensity keeps your eyes glued. He’s coming to Seattle behind the freshly released Live in Europe, a two-LP live recording from his tour with avant world orchestra the String Theory, which join him on this tour.

by Leilani Polk