Allan Rayman

Harry Hard-On

After a fleeting flirtation with being up for interacting with media, Allan Rayman has apparently gone back underground, back to being more and more mysterious. The Toronto singer-songwriter and musician simply has no time for explaining his musical motives at the moment — yet third album, Harry Hard-On, adds more layers of intrigue. Building off of his Courtney EP and the 2017 full-length Roadhouse 01, this nine-track outing ( produced by Andrew

Dawson) leans in harder on rock elements while retaining R&B and blues undertones.

Rayman lives for the dark, explorative space between love, lust and the imagery this evokes. “Might Get Strange” maintains a smoky, organdriven vibe; “Rose” delves into the seedy side of touring and stardom; “Crush” goes for a melancholic grunge feel; “Never Any No Good” revels in ’80s rock licks and “Amy” flickers with an ominous energy and allure. Rayman’s vocal ability continues to stand out, a gravelly, controlled tone that intuitively knows when to wild out and when to rein it in. Harry Hard-On rocks from its pulpit, connecting with its congregation and potentially adding new followers in the process, media observers be damned. (Universal)