Sacramento native Damien Verrett, the bedroom pop artist behind So Much Light, describes his latest record as an “ego-death ritual musical.” Breaking free from the isolation and algorithms of contemporary life, Damien’s three acts find Verrett confronting the only thing he’s ever really known: himself.

Like Fantastic Voyage through human ego, the record’s 14 songs meld Verrett’s personal musings on consciousness with dreamy sonic starscapes as boppin’ as they are meditative. While largely produced by Verrett, Damien was co-produced and mixed by Jason Cupp, the American Football producer who helped Verrett achieve his “emo make-a-wish” of touring Asia with the band in 2019.