Defying typecasts, Mike Moss is an anomaly in the modern world of manufactured pop. Yet, with his diverse musical roots - from hanging out with the Uncle who toured with Ivor Novello, to the mosh pits of Manchester’s rock clubs, he is also emblematic of a new wave of self-made artists, combining innate musical talent with production and marketing savvy. This first album is the culmination of a year’s work and a steady stream of contributing musicians, including Mykey Wilson (ex-Texas and Dust Junkies drummer). But the voice that emerges is inimitably Moss’s. From the clarion call of the opening anthem, It’s Time, with it’s Bowie-esque signature vocal, to the pulsing beats of Emotion Machine, Moss toys with expectations and eschews the mainstream, all the while keeping the album fresh and accessible. Tracks like Drifter have their genesis in the acoustic sets he played on the NYC club scene. But here, they’re transformed into multi-layered tapestries, their humble folk and blues origins swept up into orchestral layers of strings and vocal harmonies. Similarly, Morning Call is emancipated from its humble country roots with hypnotic military drums, chiming guitars and that soul-searching voice. 

Neither is Moss afraid of shifting down a gear, and the album is punctuated with beautifully reflective moments, culminating in Only Lies, a simple piano ballad replete with real world story telling and a swelling vocal finale.