Great Lakes’ Ben Crum returns with a fantastic new album, Don’t Swim Too Close.

Over 25 years and eight records, Crum has built a reputation for sharp songwriting and interesting stylistic shifts. Don’t Swim Too Close is no exception, as Crum draws from a classic rock tradition, echoing both the Americana spirit of Neil Young and The Band and the proto-indie rock of Television and The Velvet Underground.

Immediately accessible, its songs land with the ease of lived-in classics. Themes of empathy and regret (“Carry the Message”), mental health struggles (“Don’t Swim Too Close”), disillusionment (“Meant to Fly”), and the lone journey of the writer (“On the Way Back”) weave through the record. But this isn’t a bleak listen. Crum’s dry, gallows humor bubbles up throughout, balancing heaviness with wit. He’s the kind of writer who can sing, “the future’s out there, waiting like an open grave,” and leave you smirking instead of sinking—or deadpan, “there’s nothing sexy about Spread Eagle, Wisconsin, or Tightsqueeze, Virginia.” The characters in Crum’s songs are soul-searching, making for a compelling and thought-provoking listen. But there’s tenderness too: “Seeing Through Her” is a love song without pretense, while “Song for the Old Man” pays moving tribute to Crum’s late father. The closing track, “Are We Here Accidentally,” takes on existential purpose—or the lack thereof—in the face of life’s mundane demands: “there’s always someone on the phone / always someone we’re supposed to owe / well, I guess, if you say so.”

Don’t Swim Too Close is that rare record that blends superb lyrics with the subtle smoke of melody, and delivers it all in an instantly enjoyable format.

For Don’t Swim Too Close, Great Lakes are: Ben Crum (vocals, guitar, bass), Kevin Shea (drums), Kyle Forester (piano, organ), Sam Cohen (drums, guitar, pedal steel), James Richardson (guitar, bass, organ), David Gould (bass), San Fadyl (drums), and Suzanne Nienaber (vocals).