Supernova, Girlyman's fifth studio album, resonates with themes of uncertainty and transformation. ''A supernova is a dying star,'' explains bandmember Doris Muramatsu, who was diagnosed with leukemia in late 2010. ''We didn't know if we'd ever tour again.'' But the album is not a dirge; instead, the band reaches, as always, for hope. As Slate magazine wrote, ''Girlyman doesn't wallow in such emotions; the band approaches them frankly, capturing, in a story or a surprising metaphor, a feeling you've had but never heard so well-expressed.'' Mixed by Grammy Award winner Ben Wisch, Supernova features guest appearances by Indigo Girl Emily Saliers and others.