I realized I haven't covered Matthew Mayfield's latest album yet. Time to make amends: the American singer-songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama, former lead singer of alternative rock band Moses Mayfield, released Wild Eyes last February.

Wild Eyes is a vast departure from his last full-length album (2012's A Banquet For Ghosts), but still maintains Mayfield's signature sound as well as an evident passion for his craft. "I knew I wanted to explore some new places in terms of the sonics," he says, "but I wasn't quite sure how to get there. There's never a map when I get in the studio. It's gotta feel a little reckless to keep me excited." Most of the tracks on the album were produced by Bill Lefler (Ingrid Michaelson, Dashboard Confessional) in a small studio in the heart of Los Angeles' Koreatown.

Wild Eyes is ten tracks of hook-laden choruses, soaring vocal performances, and songs carved straight from the heart. It is an album that showcases sides of the artist that have never been heard before. Songs like Ride Away and Wild Eyes reveal Mayfield's knack for pop-sensibility, while Why We Try and Settle Down expose the artist's vulnerability in a fresh, uplifting way.

Watch the video for the leading single and title-track clicking on the image and stream the whole album on Spotify.