Since guitarist and vocalist Christopher Strawberry (whose adopted surname was bestowed on him by Willie Dixon. Really.) hooked up with drummer Talley Mulligan and bass player Greg Easterly in 1995, Strawberry Presents has built a reputation as one of the best, most reliably interesting acts on the local scene, thanks in large part to Strawberry’s vocal and songwriting talents.

Endowed with a unique, powerful voice equally suited to purring or screaming, Strawberry writes dynamics-rich rock songs that take advantage of his range.

Strawberry Presents, produced by the band along with Dave Reynolds and Jimmy Augustin, ups the ante with a fuller, more developed sound, adding multiple guitar overdubs and piano and organ fills by Pat Sansone. The record kicks off with “Explanation Time,” which neatly encapsulates the band’s dynamics: vocals that shift from vulnerable whisper to confident swagger, music that shifts from serenely’ strummed chords to thrashing metallic din, and lyrical content that remains mired in guilt, frustration and alcohol.

The record covers a spectrum of styles, with full throttle rock songs like “Miss Taken,” “Distract Me,” and “Cask of Lye” balancing off quieter, more hypnotic tracks like “Shape,” “Just Another Day,” “Horse” and “This Medicine,” a six minute epic with guitar solos worthy of Neil Young. The recordings aren’t perfect, with guitars in particular sounding muddy at times.

In the end, though, you can’t argue with good songs, and Strawberry Presents delivers the goods.