Just like the rest of us, as musicians age, the issues they face grow more complex. And, as a consequence, sometimes their music becomes more interesting.

On his eighth solo outing since his band Grant Lee Buffalo broke up, Grant-Lee Phillips has much to chew on: the death of his father; reflections inspired by relocating from his native California to Nashville; and the space where history and the personal meet.

Phillips's ancestors were forced to walk the "Trail of Tears", and Cry Cry evokes that infamous migration in the 1830s of Native Americans from their land. Although his band is small: just a core of drummer Jerry Roe and bassist Lex Price, the sound is rich, warm, diverse Americana, layered with acoustic and electric guitars and topped with the brooding soulfulness of his voice. A tasty appetiser for his gigs in Dublin and Cork in May.