The appeal of folkie Jay Brannan's brazen, over-the-top emoting is somewhat inexplicable, because despite the slick packaging, the singer's unapologetic embrace of inner turmoil is actually pretty punk. While Brannan — known for his role in John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus — is dangerously entrenched in basic acoustic-guitar structures, lisped crooning, and simple lyrics, his debut album Goddamned coalesces these elements into a perfect storm that balances earnestness with unshakable pop appeal. Though his themes are often obvious, their underlying sentiments go majestically for the gut.