Every Time You Go Somewhere, the third full-length album from Mal Blum, is sheer auditory therapy.

In ten tracks, the 22-year-old singer/songwriter from Brooklyn, takes the listener on a winding path towards absolution. Mal’s yellow-brick road is paved with the discontent of failed relationships, and cemented with a self-awareness that is well beyond her years.

Characterized by punchy lyrics like “you don’t like art, you just buy and sell”, and “besides I really am getting so adept at preventing my own happiness”, plus the occasional Harry Potter reference, Mal’s quirky sensibilities shine through.

Track 6, “Wait Forever Baby”, brings out a deeper, darker side. Staccato keyboard rhythms provide a contrast to the fluidity of her vocals. The song is tender, yet edgy, and reminiscent of early Joni Mitchell.

Track 9, “I Got Drunk”, is acoustic rock’s intelligent answer to Asher Roth’s “I Love College”. Mal’s blues inspiration is impossible to ignore. The addition of the harmonica provides a genuinely Southern feel, and plays well with the liquid therapy theme.

Mal’s music is hopeful, expectant even. Through her lyrics, she presents herself at face-value. Maybe there is a lesson in this. Her music makes the listener want to feel, nothing specific, just to feel. And that’s pretty amazing.

You can find Every Time You Go Somewhere on Mal’s Bandcamp page, or on iTunes.