Warm Blanket

Dent May has proven to be far more diverse than anyone might have imagined when he released his ukulele-based songs at the onset of his career. His transformation into dance-floor king Dent Sweat proved he had a versatility that meant he could do anything he dreamt up. And May dreams aplenty. Warm Blanket cruises through a variety of genres, sounding so perfect on “Born Too Late”—a song that uses disco grooves, late-'60s pop melodies, and ‘70s-styled soft rock—that it feels as if Dent May isn’t a single individual but a variety of talents meeting somewhere on the sly. Yet, that’s May creating another soft rock gem with the synth-led Beach Boys–like “Yazoo.” Looking for insight into his warped, creative mind, the acoustic-based “I’m Ready to Be Old” paints May as a dedicated Brian Wilson-Van Dyke Parks-Harry Nilsson disciple who finds his own voice within this elusive style. To further expand the palette, May finishes off with the pedal steel–heavy “Summer Is Over,” where he avoids all country-western clichés to create his own brand of pop music.