On this edition of Rainbows in the Dark, we’ll be looking at—gasp, shock, horror—a country album. A very good one, mind you, unfettered by the usual stylistic tropes of Nashville pop-garbage that saturates the radio. Traveller, released in May 2015 by Chris Stapleton, is refreshing in many ways. Not only is the songwriting absolutely brilliant, but Stapleton’s integration of blues, classic rock, and honest introspection makes Traveller an album that doesn’t tidily fit into any particular mold—and frankly, that’s what great about it. From top to bottom, Traveller is a tour-de-force in American songwriting.

Looking at Chris Stapleton, it’s clear that he’s not cut from the same cloth as polished stars like Keith Urban or Luke Bryan, despite his tenure as a wildly successful songwriter in Nashville who has penned numerous hit singles for some of country’s biggest names. The cover of Traveller is a simple, almost barren, black and white portrait of the artist standing at a distance, his face obscured by a thick beard, long hair, and a shadow cast from his battered hat. No glamour shot, no Photoshop trickery, no frills—just like the music contained therein. That said, the entirety of Traveller has some of the most ambitious and effective songwriting I’ve heard on a country album in a long time. From the stomping rhythm of “Parachute” to the loose, bluesy groove of the classic tune “Tennessee Whiskey” (which features fantastic vocal runs on the chorus, DANG GINA) and the solemn, downcast “Whiskey and You” (probably one of the most brutally honest heartbreak ballads I’ve heard in years), Stapleton’s distinguishing feature is that he is equally adept at injecting a real urgency into the rollicking swagger of outlaw country (“Nobody to Blame”) as covering far more personal and intimate subjects, as on the heart-on-sleeve “The Devil Named Music.”

While Stapleton did not write all of these tunes entirely by himself—though he has writing credits on all of the songs here—his experience as a Nashville songwriter, along with his performance chops, results in a collection of songs that never feels rushed, forced, or by-the-book. “More of You,” which would have easily been a throw-away ballad had it been by any other artist, is elevated by the inclusion of a fragile, smoky vocal duo with Chris’s wife Morgane and a bristling mandolin. “When the Stars Come Out” glides wistfully like Bob Seger with slide guitar, while “Might as Well Get Stoned” shows the truest inclusion of rock influences with its slithering, gritty, guitar runs and hedonistic outlook.

Regardless of the tone of any of the songs, Stapleton’s well-worn voice—neither polished nor harsh, but smooth—is what lends so much emotional weight to the lyrics, which are penned with excellent cadence, style and honesty. The bittersweet sentiments of the title track and menacing crawl of “Outlaw State of Mind” and the unhinged, almost manic closer “Sometimes I Cry” just wouldn’t sound right with anyone’s voice instead of Stapleton’s. Additionally, the rest of the production values on the album enhance the natural grit and momentum of these songs. From the subtle splash of reverb and creamy saturation on the electric guitars to the roomy drums and acoustic guitars so rich you’d swear you can touch them, the amount of thought put into the structure and treatment of these songs is something not often seen in country music and is a testament to the excellence of Traveller’s ideas.

It’s unlikely that Mr. Stapleton will break into the mainstream anytime soon, but albums like Traveller have an appeal wide enough that the lack of airplay is more than made up for by the fact that this is one of the most honest albums that has surfaced in country music recently. Highly recommended not just for fans of country, but for anyone who finds value in honest, emotionally raw, and effective songwriting. Keep your eyes on this artist—great things are ahead.

– Dustin

Traveller is now available on Mercury Records. For more information and tour dates, check out Chris’s official website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.