Seattle multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Telekinesis (aka Michael Benjamin Lerner) has proved himself a facile craftsman of instantaneously memorable melodies over the course of five albums for indie powerhouse Merge Records since 2009. His songsmithing skews toward the accessible without sounding overly cloying, and his control of dynamics is impeccable. Dabbling with electronic music on 2015’s Ad Infinitum did not diminish Lerner’s knack for finessing infectious tunes. The new Effluxion LP returns to the classic Telekinesis approach, reaffirming that Lerner is simply a stone-cold studio pro who emits beguiling melodies like most people breathe. by Dave Segal