Zinc.

Maryland-raised singer Gallant blends the artificial with the natural, stirring together concoctions that take elements from electronic and acoustic styles alike. *Zinc.*, his third full-length album, explores parallels with its namesake element: necessary for survival but difficult to obtain. It’s the element’s elusiveness that he finds himself attracted to throughout the album, mirroring the way relationships build and fall, friends come and go, and pain pulsates and recedes. On “Sticks + Stones.” Gallant sings over an acoustic-guitar melody, reaching to his highest register to give the song a nod to classic R&B. “The chemicals will keep me company,” he sings, before a shuffling drum groove kicks in. On “Fly on the Wall. (Osaka Version),” he tries to stay carefree and out of harm’s way. “Please don’t mind me, I’m just a fly on the wall,” he sings, hoping the words ring true. Alas, things are still a work in progress for Gallant: “Then I say I’ve tamed the beast, but every time, I spill my blood on the altar.”