Most of today’s employers (and record labels) are looking for people who can do it all. The more a person can multi-task, the better. Irene & Reed, an Indianapolis-based Americana trio, has this aspect nailed down. The band consists of a singer/songwriter journalist and two brothers serving as sound engineers/multi-instrumentalists. What’s better than a band able to produce and promote its own self? Closer to Home, Irene & Reed’s debut album, was released this spring and is a good reminder that local DIY bands can produce quality albums up to par with those from record labels.

Closer to Home is difficult to pigeonhole; Americana is the overarching genre, but Irene & Reed has managed to fuse blues, jazz, folk and classical piano. With influences ranging from Fiona Apple and Tori Amos to John Mayer and Elton John, each song is anything but predictable. Closer to Home has an antique ambience, featuring 1920s style artwork and the sound of an old film projector at the beginning of “Even With Closed Eyes.” The combination of the smooth, rich vocals and jazzy piano add to this old-time theme.

The lyrical depth of Closer to Home is also striking, catchy and accessible from the outset yet made up of multiple layers sure to uncover meaning from multiple spins. The chorus of “All Your Tomorrows” begins, “All your tomorrows/ Won’t bring you closer/ To truths you’ve always known/ When you’ve gone missing/ Just look behind you/ And the path will lead you home.” The entire album seeps with eloquent text. “Wine and Whiskey,” the most blues-influenced song of the album, features dark lyrics to coincide with the dark sound: “If I knew what was best for me/ I’d have moved on a long time ago/ I’d have curled my fingers into fists/ And told you no.”

Perhaps the aspect most endearing is the intimacy displayed throughout. A feeling of vulnerability permeates many of the songs, like “I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone,” “Fragile” and “In Your Arms” (“Outside I’m strong/ But inside I’m small/ Your words warm me/ And tear down my walls/ I learn to let go/ My fears to disarm/ ‘Cause when you hold me/ I’m a child in your arms.”) It’s as if lead singer Leslie Benson and pianist Jason Reed Miller are merely covers for their secret identities, Irene and Reed. By releasing their inner superheroes, the musicians have constructed a creative outlet through their songs. This is true art.