Nearly 13 years since his proper debut as Viking Moses, Baltimore musician Brendon Massei is slated to release his fifth album, Cruel Child. The record offers a dozen dusty and deep and wistful explorations of the soul, and Massei sings with a deep and haunted voice reminiscent of Mark Lanegan, Will Oldham, and David Eugene Edwards, but like those masters, Massei is just as adept at hiding beautiful, tender, and positive messages that are shrouded in mystery and melancholy.

Check out the video for Fool For The Flame and we’ve reposted the stripped-down, rawness of dark-yet-lovey-dovey pop song Headstrong which featured in our end of year round up at Christmas.