It would be easy to write off the mask worn by rising crooner Orville Peck as a gimmick. But that would be the wrong way to look at it. For Peck, this isn't just a mask—it's an entire persona. Like Zorro's bandit mask or Nicolas Cage's snakeskin jacket in Wild at Heart (a symbol of "individuality" and a "belief in personal freedom," as Cage repeats, over and over), Orville Peck's long fringed mask is an extension of the man. A phantom limb of his personality.

Signed by Sub Pop late last year, Peck released his debut country album, Pony, in March. The 12-track LP is a lush, dreamy journey careening through tales of gay hustlers and conflicted lovers. Peck's twangy howling is simultaneously intimidating and romantic—enigmatic, like his mask. by Chase Burns