Sometimes reaching iconic stature is just a matter of never stopping. Sure, there are some who burn brightly and quickly, but more often than not it’s the ones that are able to stick around that end up proving to be the most brilliant. Such is the case with Thalia Zedek. Emerging from the early ’80s Boston scene with the band White Women, she then moved on to form Dangerous Birds. Wanting a heavier sound, she created Uzi, before eventually joining Live Skull. When that band broke up in 1990, she co-founded Come, who called it quits in 2001. Unsurprisingly, she subsequently founded another band, this time named after herself. Since it’s fairly difficult to break up with yourself, this group has been putting out records since 2001, with its most recent album, Eve (Thrill Jockey Records), coming three years after the last full-length, Via.

Taking a cross-section of Zedek’s catalog, it can be understandably confusing to know what to expect. While not so much a stylistic chameleon, Zedek’s work has varied depending on the group of collaborators, and liking one thing she’s done doesn’t guarantee you’ll like the others. The only constants are that she’ll be singing and playing guitar.

On Eve, the band consists of founding members David Michael Curry (viola) and Mel Lederman (piano), longtime member Winston Braman (bass), and newest member Jonathan Ulman (drums). The album is largely devoid of the blues elements that have underpinned much of Zedek’s work, although “Not Farewell” could certainly be cited as having a blues foundation. One of the more surprising things to emerge on the record is the amount of quiet, acoustic-based moments. Songs like “Illumination” have an expansive, unhurried approach that slowly draws in the listener. Zedek is very good at setting up a scene through an economical use of language, and there’s a very visual aspect that, when combined with the musical backing, lends an intimate feel even when the volume and tempos are cranked up. Eve is the type of album that works on a surface level, but also reveals new wrinkles with repeated plays. Obviously, Zedek is no stranger to the type of crafting it takes to make this happen. For her, it’s not about learning new tricks, but applying what she already knows, with Eve being the end result when that idea is kept close to heart.