James Anthony Wolff doesn’t do surface-level. On Eyes Like Stars, he moves through time and memory with an eye for detail and a willingness to sit in the quiet in-between spaces. This is the sound of someone figuring it out in real-time musically and emotionally.
The album is a debut in name only. Spanning over a decade of songwriting and finished in 2023, it captures the evolution of a voice that’s still wide open, still reaching. Wolff, who trained at Peabody Conservatory, blends structured instrumentation with loose, expressive vocals, giving the songs a push-pull energy that feels spontaneous and honest.
“Setting Sun” paints youth like a fading photograph, all golden hues and missed chances. “Ghosts” dives into the creeping dread of isolation, anchored by one of the record’s strongest songs. “In Patterns of Light” opens the project with layered metaphors, stars flickering as stand-ins for two people trying to communicate across emotional distance.
There’s no need for grand gestures here. Eyes Like Stars resonates because it lets vulnerability lead the way.