Recently I’ve been diving back into The Beatles; giving all those classic records my full attention for the first time in an age. In a post-Beatles world, it’s easy to take for granted just how inventive and eclectic they were. Throw on one of their later records especially and you get taken for a real journey, never knowing what weird and wonderful place the next track will whisk you off to. McCartney is the real ace in the hole in that regard. If you’re listening to The Beatles and find yourself thinking “who the hell is singing right now?”, the answer is almost always Paul. The man is a vocal chameleon, able to enact remarkable shifts in his voice to suit his surroundings.

That same quality is present in spades all across For The First Time, Again, the gorgeous debut album from Rhode Island raised singer Tyler Ballgame. Whenever you think you’ve got him pegged, he keeps finding new ways to surprise you. The album’s first couple of tracks do a superb job of setting you up for what’s to come. In part because they immediately immerse you in these lush, summery, laid-back vibes. The welcoming warmth of the production, the tasteful arrangements that do so much with relatively little, making the record feel like a forgotten classic from decades past. More importantly though, they set the bar low with the weakest vocals of the album (still admittedly solid, if a little whiny in places) ready for the album highlight to come in and knock your socks off.

‘You’re Not My Baby Tonight’ is a truly spellbinding ballad. One that finds Tyler flitting between a deep soulful croon and gorgeous soaring high notes, and back again, as though it were as natural as breathing. One of my frontrunners for Song of the Year, it sounds like it’s being sung by another person entirely. This moment opens the floodgates for Tyler to introduce you to the diverse cast of different characters he has waiting in the wings.

‘Matter of Taste’ is a more upbeat classic rocker that injects a heap of grit and fry into his voice in the chorus, while the old-school Americana of ‘Sing How I Feel’ finds Tyler adopting a Roy Orbison croon, albeit occasionally reminiscent of Brandon Flowers on the high notes, atop some wonderfully understated organ. ‘Down So Bad’ dips into E Street territory, delivering The River era Springsteen style rock’n’roll, with the brilliant drumming in serious danger of stealing the spotlight. The album is at its most Beatlesy on tracks like ‘Goodbye My Love’ and ‘Waiting So Long’, which lure you in with an easy-going groove before pulling out all the stops for the big finish. Perhaps most interesting of all though is the experimental detour the record takes on ‘Ooh’. Taking on a distorted, otherworldly tone reminiscent of Cindy Lee. Tyler’s vocals shift so much here that the man is practically singing a duet with himself.

I say this with the utmost admiration, and without a hint of irony: they don’t make ’em like this anymore. Tyler Ballgame’s stunning debut manages to be so diverse, offering surprises at every turn, yet each tracks somehow feels like a perfect fit for the bigger picture at play. It’s a real gem; one of my favourite discoveries of the year. True to its name, it’s the kind of album that I wish I could listen to for the first time again.