Wanderings of an Illustrative Mind is the debut album from Peter Barbee, who was 24 when he recorded these songs. It opens with “Start at the Beginning,” where a haunting cello ushers in a string section as Barbee’s androgynous voice coos through waves of reverb over an electric guitar. Raised in the foothills of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, Barbee relocated to Nashville at 17 and embedded himself in its music scene. Wanderings of an Illustrative Mind features cinematic pop underpinned by rich, symphonic layers and Barbee's voice, reminiscent of Thom Yorke. “Forever Lord” balances fingerpicked guitar with percolating beats and tones that blossom into gospel-tinged indie-disco. Barbee sings in an icy falsetto over this, making for a standout cut that sounds more Brooklyn than Music City. Barbee’s Bon Iver influences surface on the hushed ballad “Sun Greets the Sky,” where folk guitar picking and lush strings play under his intimate vocals. With “Great Adventure I,” Barbee dabbles in the blues, singing of sin and redemption over three-bar notes and a handclap rhythm.