Brendan Regan cut his teeth as a drummer for bands in the post-punk and indie-rock world in Ohio and Colorado before settling down in Seattle, where he currently lives. These days, his main instrument is a guitar (he sold his drum kit long ago) and he’s at the front of the stage with a Celtic brand of personal songwriting that peers back to his early days.

Regan starts the listen with Colin J. Nelson’s proficient drumming and Dan Tyack’s warm pedal steel on the atmospheric “Trigger Town,” and the calming winds from Kate Olson populate the following tune, “Have No Reserve.”

Moving forward, Tekia Waterfield’s soulful pipes complement the vulnerable, powerful duet “Overpromises,” while the highly melodic “Have You Seen Wings?” welcomes Rebecca Lomnicky’s fiddle acrobatics and Shadrick Scott’s playful keys for some subtle country music nods.

Closer to the end, “Sit Right Down,” a rich and melodic album highlight, is quite poetic and crisp, and “Opus Girl” is a bit mysterious and ambient in its darker demeanor of a rare intimacy. The closer, “People I Won’t Leave Behind,” then offers a vivid and glowing strummer that’s as cautious as it is memorable.

Regan already has several EPs under his belt, and this longer display of versatility goth, tribal, working class folk and singer-songwriters ideas from the ’70s stems from a lifetime of experience and skill from an artist whose first gig was at just age 15.

Similarities to Paul Simon, Lou Barlow, Frank Turner, Morrissey or Nick Drake won’t be hard to spot or appreciate, and the additional help from Skyler Mehal (electric guitar), Andrew Rudd (percussion) and Nelson’s bass, backing vocals and synth certainly helps illuminate the eight indie-folk hymns that stem from an ultra-creative and eloquent mind.

Rating: A-

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