It’s been three years since 2005’s You Stand Watching. And in the interim Ryan Cabrera has been touring, as well as writing and recording his new opus The Moon Under Water, which released this past Tuesday, May 13th.

Moon is a new adventure for the “On the Way Down” rocker, given that it’s his first taste of an indie project. On his blog, Ryan writes, “This is my first album off of a major record label, and I decided to keep it that way by paying for the entire project myself!! Which gave me complete creative freedom!”

So was the freedom worth the price of the project? We’re gonna go with YES! While Moon lacks some of the saccharin-sweet teen pop trappings of Take it All Away and You Stand Watching, it compensates in areas like artistic integrity and not-over-polished production.

The album’s opening track “In Between Lights” is a strong step forward, with a chorus that will keep you humming all day, and a driving tempo that may have you speeding down the highway if you’re not careful.

Skipping ahead to track 3 (the first single), “Say” is a catchy, mid-tempo ditty that deals with the independence of breaking away from the safety and conformity of “what’s always worked in the past,” namely going out on his own this time around. It isn’t an instant favorite, but after a few listens it begins to grown on you.

And if you’re looking for a song for slow dancing with your sweetie, “How ‘Bout Tonite” is a fine fulfillment. The waltz-like tempo and soothing layers of vocals and synthesizers will set the mood in no time.

For a guy who was introduced to the world via his then-girlfriend’s (Ashlee Simpson) reality show, The Moon Under Water is a triumph of musical maturity. Even if you don’t dig Cabrera’s new Johnny Depp-esque goatee and long hair, you’ll most likely find a summertime soundtrack with this album.

Check out the Sit Back Relax video here: