Chesnutt wants you to feel his pain. And you will: in his emotion-wracked rasp, in the slashing strokes of his accompanists (including Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto and Montreal’s mercurial Thee Silver Mt. Zion) and in lyrics that occasionally resemble a suicide note. That said, “At the Cut” shines beautifully in its grimness, in part because of Chesnutt’s homespun way with a melody, but also because despite all he’s endured (a car crash left him a paraplegic at 18) he’s still here to tell the tale - and vividly. Download: “Chinaberry Tree.” (Appearing Sunday at the Somerville Theatre with Guy Picciotto and members of Thee Silver Mt. Zion.)