Michael Hearst

Quirky composer Michael Hearst, of local lit-rock outfit One Ring Zero, presents his latest concept-driven album, Songs for Fearful Flyers, inspired by his own aviophobia. (Fact: Whoopi Goldberg helped him get over his fear, and she even appears as a narrator on the record.) Whether you share the condition or not, Hearst's mellifluous instrumental chamber pop is sure to soothe nerves and lift spirits.