I fail to remember the last time a songwriter so eloquently penned verses on the harrowed condition of a mangled heart. Phosphorescent, a moniker used by singer/songwriter Matthew Houck, slid under the radar onto the American folk scene with lyrics that establish him as the poetic patron saint of the broken-hearted. His songs reflect a psychedelic country rarely seen, while his melodies effortlessly carry his lyrical emotions without overburdening his audience. In “Song for Zula,” Houck tells the allegorical story of a shattered relationship as he croons, “See, honey, I saw love / You see it came to me / It puts its face up to my face so I could see / Yeah then I saw love disfigure me / Into something I am not recognizing.” The emotional intensity Houck lends to his music can only be described as a blissful agony for listeners. Phosphorescent’s album, “Muchacho,” has topped best of 2013 lists in publications from “Time” to “NPR.” Houck’s success can be attributed to his ability to rub your heart raw. Instead of pushing its audience away, “Muchacho” provides a cathartic experience that allows its audience to purge the laments of their own heart’s catastrophes.