The power of visualization looms large in the imaginative compositional mind of The Forest Effect’s primary songwriter, Elliot Page. The evocative and viscerally dynamic indie-rock artist looks to its band name as a conceptual beacon for songwriting and arranging. “I try to use both light and dark tones, like capturing the way the late-afternoon light filters through the layers of the forest,” says the Boston-based singer, guitarist, and educator.

The band—fronted by Elliot with a fluid membership of trusted musicians, including his right-hand man, keyboardist Ben Kuris—specializes in a modern version of stately classic rock with scene-setting lyrics, imaginative arrangements, virtuosic musicianship, and unforgettable hooks. They’ve been described as “if the guys from Dismemberment Plan met up at Wilco’s loft to play some Pink Floyd and The Black Crowes covers.”