Submitted photoSinger-songwriter Terence Neal performs at The Blacksmith tonight.

The artwork for “Something Like This,” the new album from Bend-based singer-songwriter Terence Neal, features two photos that capture the spirit of the songs within.

One zooms in on five sheets of ruled paper, apparently removed from a notebook, featuring handwritten lyrics of songs on the record. They are well-used; you can see edits — words crossed out, others crammed into slivers of white space — as well as the ghostly indentions of lyrics pressed into the pages before.

The other picture shows Neal at a table, ink pen in hand, creating one of those lyric sheets against the beautiful backdrop of a stained-glass window. The message: This is a songwriter who puts the emphasis on the craft of writing.

Sonically, “Something Like This” shares many qualities with using a pen to put lyrics on paper. Its 10 songs are throwbacks to the heyday of seamless acoustic folk-pop; they are striking and stylish, but imbued with a classic feel that will leave you wondering if you’ve heard these tunes many times before.

That’s the beauty of Neal’s music: It fits comfortably, like a favorite pair of boots broken in by years of reliable use. He sings of life and love and loss in a way that is relatable without being cloying. The highlight is “Carolina Rain,” a somber slice of changing-seasons folk with an elegant, harmony-heavy chorus.

Neal came to Bend from Southern California, where he played in rootsy bands. And “Something Like This” is his first solo album, which makes its easygoing charm all the more remarkable. He’ll celebrate its release with a show Thursday night at McMenamins Old St. Francis School.

Terence Neal CD-release show; 7 p.m. Thursday; free; McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 N.W. Bond St., Bend; www.mcmenamins.com.

— Ben Salmon