Tody Castillo

After considerable buzz and a slew of nominations and awards for his 2005 self-titled release, Tody Castillo kind of dropped off of Houston's collective radar. Thankfully, marriage and fatherhood didn't stop the now Austin-based musician from writing new songs, which he'll feature when he returns this weekend to celebrate the release of his new album, Windhorse. Much like Castillo's previous work, the songs on the new album reflect a man looking inward — love and death are the recurring themes throughout, and Castillo counters the heartache and despair of his lyrics with moments of pop-infused flair. Longtime live staples "The Shape Of My Heart" and "The Otherside" are standouts, but slower tunes "Mustang Island" and "Tall Pines" easily hold their own. While we'd never willfully wish misery on another, when the result's as good as Windhorse, it's tough not to engage in a tiny bit of schadenfreude. Rumor has it that Castillo has already written an album's worth of new material, so hopefully, he won't make us wait another four years.