Shapeshifter

It’s refreshing, in an age of self-conscious, wavering vocals, to hear a singer who can belt out a song like he actually feels a variety of emotions—not just grief. Hella frontman Ross’ solo debut is beautifully mastered, with deep strings and crisp vocals that put the listener in the middle of a poem, each song a different stanza. Some tracks sound as if they were recorded in a cavern, Ross sitting by a fire whispering the verses. Some begin in tranquility, then nearly lose control. While it’s not hard to compare Ross’ storybook folk and nasal-y vocals to Dylan or Guthrie, there’s a controlled chaos that defies genres and lets the work paint pictures instead of easy comparisons. It’s clear at once that everyone involved with this project, particularly Ross himself, believed in it fully.