You can hear so many of Nathan Moore's influences in his music: Bob Dylan‚ Tom Waits‚ Greg Brown‚ Woody Guthrie‚ David Bowie and so on. But that doesn't take anything away from what he does‚ because when it really comes down to it‚ none of that matters when you listen to a songwriter and you believe him. From the first time I saw Nathan Moore sing a song‚ I had no doubt in what he was doing. I saw zero bullshit; the man was one hundred percent believable to me.

In His Own Worlds is Nathan Moore's sixteenth record‚ either as part of a band (ThaMuseMeant‚ Surprise Me Mr. Davis) or as a solo artist. On this new release‚ he's at it again‚ like a poet who sits on your shoulder and puts what you're feeling into words. Just like many of the greats who have inspired him‚ he understands how to say those words simply‚ yet he delivers them in a way that makes you feel their importance and urgency.

On Worlds you hear a little bit of everything. Moore the romantic-expressing how the subtle nature of a woman's touch‚ voice and presence can be so powerful. Moore the dreamer -- drunk on wine and wanting to be the mayor of his hometown‚ or maybe a magician who does nothing more than make a child smile. Moore the lazy revolutionary -- a pacifist struggling with the notion of war and religion. Moore the troubadour -- following his heart and never playing it straight. Moore the tormented-how it takes experiencing being spiritually or creatively depleted in order to be able to express it. And to no surprise‚ Moore also knows what it's like to feel inspired and reborn like it's spring. That's what a great songwriter does -- they make you feel it all. Worlds is an extension of that‚ a branch in Moore's prolific body of work.

These songs could stand alone if it was just Moore and his guitar. But what gives this album such a great feel is the accompaniment. Moore brought in his friends from the Frogville Records collective in Santa Fe‚ New Mexico‚ and together they found the sweet spot of each song. The record has a wonderfully warm‚ vintage vibe that easily sounds like it could be from another time period-like a gem you pull out of an old vinyl collection. But you still feel present in what is going on around you. An old beat-up piano‚ shuffling drums and haunting pedal steel swells create a landscape that finds you divided‚ walking that fine line with the storyteller; you're either looking inward‚ feeling beat down and defeated‚ or you're looking outward with confidence‚ great hope and optimism. And with that comes a precise mix of seriousness and humor‚ comfort and loneliness‚ empowerment and helplessness‚ an overall dose of accuracy that makes you feel human and relieved. This album does its job tapping into a collective consciousness‚ leaving me anticipating the next hundred songs Nathan Moore will write.