7/10

There's this pleasing sense of rediscovery running through Private Practice's self-titled debut EP. The new solo project from Richmond musician Landis Wine almost feels like a return to an instinct he had almost forgotten. Written during a run of East Coast winter storms, the EP began with an open guitar tuning and quickly grew into the first full batch of songs he had written alone in more than a decade.

Built from open-tuned guitars, layered percussion and understated electronic textures, 'Private Practice' occupies a hazy space between indie-rock and late-night pop. The songs feel intimate without sounding small, with enough texture around them to create a dreamlike atmosphere while retaining the loose edges of their homemade origins.

There's a strong tension between control and surrender throughout the EP. He clearly understands how to shape a recording, but the project becomes more interesting when he allows the songs to remain slightly unruly. Arrangements are permitted to stretch, textures are allowed to fray and imperfections are treated as part of the character instead of problems to be corrected.

Kelsey Hulvey's guest appearance adds another burst of personality, while mastering from Jeff Zeigler helps preserve the EP's roughness without letting it disappear into murk.

The artist describes 'Private Practice' as "a polite container for messy shapes", and it's hard to find a better summary. What began with an unfamiliar tuning during a snowbound winter becomes a reminder that creative progress doesn't always come from pushing forwards.

Sometimes it comes from falling back through an old door and discovering there's still something waiting on the other side.