Songs For A New Moon (Gate)

With his second solo album, Songs for a New Moon, Charles Kelley begins an age of fearless "fresh perspective" - both musically and in life - embracing the lush, hyper-saturated luxury of his beloved '80s pop. With the soft-focus soundscapes and cinematic certainty of an optimistic era, the star celebrates renewed possibility, deciding the time has come to finally ask, "Why not?" One third of the Grammy winning country trio Lady A and a chart-topping songwriter on his own, Kelley has often stepped outside of his default creative setting... just not this completely. Produced mainly by Sam Ellis and Lindsay Rimes, 16 tracks fully embrace self-realization, with Kelley concerned only for "keeping my authentic voice." He hits that mark with a freeing sense of sonic abandon, ending up with something like yacht rock for the TikTok crowd. The first single "Can't Lose You" is impacting AC radio and received praise from American Songwriter, calling Charles "One of country music's most reliable and versatile singers." The album features The Killers' 2012 deep cut "Here With Me" - reimagined as an orchestral power ballad, "like Aerosmith in Armageddon" - and Cyndi Lauper's immortal "Time After Time" bathes his vocal in a stunning, soft-focus spotlight.