There are times in this job, listening to countless pieces of music, submission upon submission, when you know you’ve found something special. I’d been hearing a lot about this one name — William Black — for some time. Up until now, I haven’t had the urge to really dive deep and check it out. But with the release of his debut album out yesterday on Lowly, I decided to take a listen.

Listening through the album, hearing most of these songs for the first time, I can see why people were so ready to recommend his music. It’s incredibly beautiful and deeply emotional, all while pushing a melodic and uplifting sound. Collaborations with the likes of Micah Martin, Nevve, and Monika Santucci push the album even further.

Sitting through Pages for the first time, it’s exceptionally easy to draw comparisons to Illenium, Seven Lions, Skrux, and the like. The melodies, the chord progressions, it all sounds very familiar. But what sets Pages apart is the personal story behind it.

“Pages is an album about my journey with addiction and mental health from the beginning to now. I have tried to be as honest and vulnerable as possible in it to show others that they are also not alone. ” – WB

Even more powerful, each song features a vocalist who has had his or her own experience with mental health. Hopefully this album can help at least one person facing their own inner demons.

Listen to the debut album Pages from William Black below.