On his solo debut, singer-songwriter Jeff Hanson demonstrates considerable skill as a guitarist and lyricist. But his true strength is his high-pitched vocals, which probably sound quite unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. Sure, other male vocalists have possessed high voices (Michael Quercio, of The Three O’ Clock, and Matthew Sweet come to mind), but those few have always balanced it with a deeper register. Not so with Hanson, who’s unabashed in his singing style.

As befits a set of self-deprecating songs about troubled relationships, most of the tunes are written in minor keys, thus balancing out some of the vocal sweetness-and-light with a few gray areas. The main problem is the preponderance of all acoustic arrangements, which lend an overly familiar tone to the songs.

Hanson tries his best with different styles (alternating picked songs with strummed ones; harmonizing with “la-la-la” backing vocals), but he needs more variety. The rocking “You Are the Reason” is a step in the right direction. Elsewhere, the steel guitar and stick-like percussion of the album’s best track, the Hawaiian-tinged “Some Years Ago,” point to another avenue worth considering. All told, Son is a pretty good debut disc from someone worth keeping your eye on.