It sometimes seems that deep within every punk musician is a country singer struggling to free themselves. It makes sense when you think about it: country music has a lot in common with the ethos of punk, emo, and even hardcore, laying its passions out bare with ragged honesty. To be clear, I’m talking about real country here, not stuff like Big & Rich or Florida Georgia Line.

Ryan Shelkett, lauded frontman of emo outfits Liars Academy and Cross My Heart, is proof positive of this argument. His solo debut, Someone Becomes No One—produced by punk legend J Robbins of Jawbox—finds him embracing alt country and Americana to create a work just as emotive as his previous acts, even without the cathartic bombast.

The most obvious shift here is in Shelkett’s voice, which sings an octave lower than he ever did on his previous projects. This gives the songs a distinct sense of world-weariness fitting for an aging emo hero. And honestly, lines like “this tragedy feels more like a comedy” in “Corroded” communicate their sort of dull jadedness much more clearly in a wavering baritone than if it were yelled at the top of his range.

There are jangling acoustic guitars, whirling organs, and haunting slide guitars as you’d expect from a country album, but his punk roots have a huge influence on the instrumentation. The lead guitars are often angular and heavy with effects (think Appleseed Cast) with often-fuzzy bass lines that drive like they’re playing a punk song. Faster tracks like “Damage” have a more obvious punk edge, but there are glaring hints even on more subdued songs, like “This Low.” There are also some moments of drum machines and ambience, making for a sonic palette much more technicolor than the typical sepia filter of Americana.

In a lot of ways, it reminds me of the gravelly old-man-rock of Nick Cave or Leonard Cohen. Shelkett’s vocals are certainly more pleasant in a traditional sense, but this record mixes uncompromising songwriting with fearless arrangements in a similar way. It has clearly identifiable elements from other genres, but mixes them together in a way that transcends those influences. It’s hard to say if the kids discovering his old bands today will be into it, but all the emo kids of yore who have also grown up in the same time should find plenty to love here.

Someone Becomes No One is out now through Steadfast Records.

Follow Ryan Shelkett on Bandcamp.