I spent my 40th birthday camping at a Yogi Bear-themed campground and capsizing a kayak on Lake Monroe. Andy Pratt, wisely, will be celebrating by releasing a new record and playing a show at The Hideout with his friend Steve Dawson (Dolly Varden, Funeral Bonsai Wedding). While The Hideout is a bit nautically themed, I imagine he will have a much drier experience than I had.

Pratt’s self-produced new album comes a few years after his previous, 2017’s Horizon Disrupted, on which he worked with Chicago legend Steve Albini. Sweeter Than The Wine, which will be out tomorrow, manages to bring elements from all over into nine songs that come together due to Pratt’s singular voice. He has the rough, gravelly vocal chords of a great storyteller, with the ability to imbue each word with the exact feeling it needs.

It’s a fun listen, as you’re guided through a lot of different styles: a spacey spaghetti western, 50’s crooner, surf rock, power ballad, and much more. It’s hard to do one type of music really well, and here Pratt displays his artistic ability for all to see.

Tickets to the record release show, which is happening this Sunday, 9/11, at The Hideout are available here.