This is the type of album to get lost in-all gentle strumming, tuneful melodies, and carefully rendered chord progressions. Damon Aaron‘s startlingly powerful yet quietly introspective vocal delivery draws the listener into an intensely private world. Subtle clicks, pops, and whirs swirl about mellowed hip-hop beats and strings in the intro before sliding into the almost pastoral folk of “Road Map.” Songs like “All I Need” take on shades of retro electronica beneath layers of acoustic guitar, and a head-nodding interlude provides a brief moment of head-clearing before plunging back in. Lovely all around, Ballast is unassuming at first but reveals its depth with each successive listen.