When listening to the new album from singer-songwriter Carter Tanton, you can tell he’s spent some time on the other end of the mic as well. Having worked on albums by artists like Drug Rug, Twin Shadow, and Marissa Nadler, Tanton’s new solo effort has a wonderfully-crafted production to it. The sound Tanton has created is just lo-fi enough to give gus songs a raw edge, but doesn’t lose anything in terms of clarity. Although Tanton views Freeclouds as a spiritual successor to his now defunct-band’s previous EP (Tulsa’s I Was Submerged), it also feels like a definitive start of something new as well. The first single off the album “Murderous Joy” is a timeless pop gem with Tanton’s mellow voice and sparkling acoustic guitars taking the foreground.Freeclouds features plenty of experimentation as well though as well. For every acoustic-pop track on the album, there is a track like “Fake Pretend” or “Land Lines” that features buzzing synthesizers and snappy drum machines clouding up the mix. Overall, Freeclouds is full of an assortment of interesting ideas and sounds, offering a promising fresh start for this singer-songwriter.