For listeners of the innocence mission, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania trio are beyond a favorite band, more like a beloved companion, such is the intensity and fragility of their sound and vision, spearheaded by Karen Peris’ heartbreaking, breathtaking voice.

Those fans include Sufjan Stevens and Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), who have both covered innocence mission songs, and in whose company the trio deserve to be bracketed.

Originally released on CD in 2003 befriended received high praise from NPR, Pitchfork, Paste and many others. Arguably their best work, ‘Befriended’, is a haunting collection of 10 songs (plus a bonus track) that features the interplay of Don Peris’ gorgeously warm and shimmering electric guitars with Karen’s transcendently lovely vocals and moving lyrics.

This LP version is available on Purple colored vinyl and includes the previously unreleased bonus track “Words of My Brother.”

“Befriended is a bucolic, nuanced bit of Sunday morning coffee-and-wistfulness, lovingly strummed acoustic guitars (augmented by the occasional organ line, sparingly applied upright bass, and light, flickering drums), rolling out time-tested chords with unwavering earnestness, revisiting the sweet, confessional early-70s folk of Joni Mitchell and the late-80s lilt of the Sundays and Cocteau Twins.” -Pitchfork