Enter Nobody Knows, the Chicago-bred singer's second album, which sounds like a Phil Spector production. A richer and more approachable encapsulation of his unpredictable sound, Nobody knows. opens with two full minutes of Beal's unaccompanied voice before fanning out into a deft mix of spare blues confessionals and classic soul. At times, as in a breezily charming duet with Cat Power titled "Coming Through," Beal seems to bury his past entirely — a move befitting an album forged around the idea of rootlessness, alienation and the abandonment of identity.

"A bold, beautiful and uncompromising record."
NME