Brett Kissel launched his ambitious The Compass Project—a four-album collection representing each of his greatest musical influences—with the South Album, an LP with roots in the Nashville sound as well as the broader Appalachian region. On this East Album, the Canadian singer-songwriter shows off his chops, pulling together an acoustic collection of songs meant to highlight his vocal and narrative abilities. While the East Album showcases his raw, unadorned songwriting, Kissel initially came up with its concept while marveling at the power of nature, particularly the ocean. “It’s an all-acoustic record that is a real tip of my hat to the East Coast, both in the United States and in Canada,” he tells Apple Music. “Peggy's Cove is a very famous lighthouse in Nova Scotia. And I stood there with my tour manager and looked out in the ocean, and I said, ‘If I could capture what I’m seeing and feeling right now into a record, how would I do that?’ So, that’s the East record.” East Album opens with “Spend a Little Time With You,” a sweet, gently rolling love song reminiscent of the more tender work of Kip Moore or Brad Paisley. “When I Get on a Memory” name-checks George Strait in the midst of snippets of memories from Kissel, whose understated delivery—not to mention the occasional tasteful fiddle accent—ups the emotional track’s nostalgia. Another standout is “Ten Years from Now,” which considers the personal (“What about my friends, will I lose some of them?”) alongside the political (“Ten years from now, I wonder if the war will end”) while Kissel thoughtfully ponders what life will look like in the future. And closer “Sanctuary” is a fitting capstone, with Kissel offering a quiet celebration of stealing moments for meditation and reflection amid the chaos of everyday life.