Permanence, the new EP from Alberta, Canada singer-songwriter Paul Stewart, has been on repeat around here ever since it was spotted over on Friends With Both Arms yesterday. It’s unclear where this 5-song set of self-described “defeatist folk” came from exactly — save for a 5-day session “in a Vancouver basement in the summer of 2011” — but I sure am bowled over by the subtle beauty therein. A quick scan of influences listed on Stewart’s page goes a long way in explaining the familiar feel (we share mutual appreciation for the likes of Jim O’Rourke, Will Oldham, and an abundance of songwriting legends), but there’s more than just that caught on tape here; there’s purity of expression at work and fine musicianship as its vehicle to boot. Get to know one of this week’s favorite emerging artists with a personal standout, opening cut “Glass Skull,” below: