Portland-based musician Andrew Durkin, best known as the leader of the avant-garde big band Industrial Jazz Group, returns to his rock roots with Critical Kid, a collection of soul-searching original songs debuting his distinctive lead vocals and a “fresh, confident sound” (Various Small Flames). The album also features the guitar and production wizardry of Leo McClusky, the powerful drumming of Oregon Music Hall of Famer Dennis Carter, and an assortment of top Portland session bassists.

Now fifty-four, Durkin never considered fronting a rock band until recently. He’d spent the bulk of his career writing thorny, complex, comic, mostly instrumental music for the world-class musicians of Industrial Jazz Group—touring the world and releasing five albums to critical acclaim. He’d also written for other ensembles, like the celebrated Quadraphonnes sax quartet and the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble.

But when the inevitable burnout of keeping a big band on the road took its toll, Durkin turned to making music that was both simpler and more direct, inspired by the classic song craft of artists like Warren Zevon, Alejandro Escovedo, Chuck Prophet, Freedy Johnston, John Hiatt, and others. Although he intended to find another vocalist for this new material, after hearing the demos, McClusky, who has known Durkin since grade school, convinced the songwriter to sing his own songs on the record too.

“It never occurred to me,” Durkin says. “I’d been singing for myself all my life, as part of my writing process. But I never let other people hear it or thought I should.” The decision to take McClusky’s advice gives this new collection a gritty, breathy, emotional edge. “My voice is flawed,” Durkin says, “but I don’t sound like anyone else.”