Steven Ross creates music that's far removed from his Oxford, Miss., address. As the title of his band’s debut album implies, Ross insulates himself from the world around him in order to achieve the results he’s seeking, which apparently has more to do with '80s New Order, ‘90s shoegaze, and 21st-century mystic dance grooves than any element of roots-based music. Vocals are kept dreamlike, with extreme levels of reverb and other ways of distorting his presence. None of this would matter much if not for the fantastic melodies that float to the surface; few would guess that the moody, gorgeous pop of “In Gray” was recorded not in a top-flight British recording studio but at Ross’ humble Mississippi home. He’s part of a growing scene in William Faulkner’s beloved Oxford, with artists who've reinvented themselves in unlikely ways. An earlier EP with different members (Dark Paradise) shows the elements working themselves into place. But with Ross handling all the songwriting duties here, there’s a consistency in alienated tones threaded from “Our Shadow” to “In the Woods.”