Melancholic is a bit of an understatement when it comes to Damien Jurado's music. A traditional singer-songwriter cut from a coarse and honest cloth, Jurado sings with the resigned tone of a man who knows that he can't win but continues to play anyway. His weary voice is usually accompanied by nothing more than an acoustic guitar in a live setting. There are few embellishments in the arrangements or the performances.These are direct songs that do not weave or confound, a series of straight lines that know exactly where they are headed and make few detours. All of those arrow-straight lines are aimed directly at your fragile heart. Jurado does not spin metaphors or tall tales. Over strummed or finger-picked guitar, he sings the saddest truths about human relationships in a sober, restrained tone like a man who is no longer surprised by a turn of bad luck. If all of this sounds bleak, well, it is. But if it's been a while since you've seen an artist that wasn't trying to sell you anything, if the last few shows you attended felt more like sales pitches than performances, Jurado might just be the man that restores your faith in honest music.

Tonight at Sonic Boom Records at 6 pm. This is an all ages show and the record release for Jurado's newest album, Maraqopa.