Sara Swenson

“Passing Cars, Passing Time,” an elegant folk tune with a shuffling momentum, is the standout track on Sara Swenson’s sophomore album, All Things Big and Small. It works because ­Swenson cedes some ground to her band, rather than making her vocals the center of attention. That’s not to say her voice — vacillating between Sarah McLachlan’s celestial soprano and Beth Orton’s husky lilt — isn’t lovely. It’s just that most of the songs are so earth-mother mournful that finally hearing a somewhat lively drum part or some pedal-steel flourishes is like coming up for air. These are tastefully recorded and pretty songs, and they hover a good few notches above typical coffeehouse fare. If you daydream about quilts in a meadow, this is the album for you. If not, listening to it might feel like watching one of McLachlan’s anti-animal-cruelty public service announcements on repeat.