Kevin Bronson on March 3rd, 2015

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On Rademacher’s ambitious 2011-12 album trilogy “Baby Hawk” — which no indie-rock fan should have missed, although many did — songwriter Malcolm Sosa dissected the artist’s life, with all its hope and warts and perceived ignominy. Now Sosa (née Mike Mancillas) is contemplating “Retirement.” The Fresno native, ensconced now in the L.A. life, has been working on a solo album bearing that title, and there’s little reason from the first two songs, “Magic Words” and “Electric Fence,” to think Sosa will be any less ruthless in his self-scrutiny. The gorgeous acoustic guitar progression (think “Dear Prudence”) in “Magic Words” presages Sosa’s wistful look in the rear-view mirror, as he speak-sings “Sometimes I wish time would move backwards / Wish I knew which magic words worked best.” In “Electric Fence,” while “hoping the best is yet to come,” Sosa concedes that “it’s getting dangerous inside my mind.” It always has been, if you know Rademacher’s body of work; in “Retirement,” however, the threat might simply be different.

||| Stream: “Magic Words” and “Electric Fence”

||| Live: Malcolm Sosa plays a free Tuesday night residency this month at Little Joy in Echo Park. Tonight he’s joined by Harley Prechtel-Cortez and Ryan Fuller.

||| Previously: “Baby Hawk” Parts I, II and III