Reflective and bittersweet - this is Neil Halstead’s songwriting.

The frontman of Mojave 3, Halstead illuminates perfection in every song with his long-awaited debut solo effort.

Halstead plays these songs in an intimate manner, inviting the listener along on his personal journey.

The beat is always minimal, but strong enough to keep things steady and calm. Nothing gets too loud and nothing is ever too dominant, which is the point.

Even Halstead’s voice seems like only one ingredient in the mix instead of the main feature - as somber as it is.

Halstead uses synthesizers and horns sparingly, without gearing the record in any specific genre destination.

He includes a few medium-tempo power ballads, but his picture-perfect soft acoustic tunes, which are his specialty, are reminiscent of Paul McCartney, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. He occasionally trails off into a folk-like manner as well.

There’s nothing bad about any of these songs. They each stand alone in their originality and musicianship. This is acoustic music played the way it should be.

Each song is sung with intense passion and leaves the listener yearning for more of his tales. He’s a great storyteller, and by doing this record, he is giving followers of Mojave 3 a wonderful treat while gaining a plethora of new listeners.

Hopefully this is the first of many solo records for Halstead.