With prog-grass supergroup Punch Brothers, banjo master Noam Pikelny is the textbook definition of a “sideman.” In concert, and often in the stereo plane of their records, he’s typically positioned stage left, peppering their virtuoso workouts with eyebrow-raising surges of five-string color. He’s an integral cog in that well-oiled machine, yet it’s tough to picture him as a true frontman. Pikelny’s recorded three albums under his own name, but those were ensemble efforts—Universal Favorite is a literal solo album, recorded with zero outside accompaniment and bare-bones production. One half presents the banjoist as a pseudo folk artist, crooning traditional bluegrass and country cover tunes in his plainspoken bass/baritone. The other, infinitely more intriguing half carries on in the vein of his main band, weaving elements of modern classical and bluegrass into cascading arpeggios (“Waveland”) and complex harmonic clusters (“Sugar Maple,” co-written by Punch Brother Gabe Witcher, the album’s producer and co-mixer). These instrumental tracks are the obvious draw for hardcore Punch fans, who probably care less about Pikelny’s singing voice than the gear breakdown in the liner notes. (Preview: On seven of these 12 tracks, he brandished a 1941 Gibson Style 7 banjo with a Robin Smith 5-string neck.) In a testament to his compositional abilities, the album only drags on the cover tunes, like a rote version of Josh Ritter and John Hurt’s “Folk Bloodbath.” Universal Favorite proves that Pikelny boasts enough charm and skill for the solo spotlight—he just needs more confidence.