On his first collaboration with Seattle’s Passenger String Quartet, David Bazan does more than survey the highlights of his output with Pedro the Lion and as a solo artist. The singer/songwriter’s aching melodies and poetically confessional lyrics gain added resonance in these classically accented settings. Bazan infuses fan favorites like “The Fleecing,” “Strange Negotiations," and “Wolves at the Door” with a brooding power laced with self-mockery and a sense of high tragedy. The album can be taken as a summation of his personal journey, as well as the start of a new creative direction.