"The way this album came about has been a spiritual journey more than anything else," says Christiaan. "Last year, I read the book The Four Agreements. It affected me. This was quite a change for a guy who had been a freewheeling rock-and-roller for 18 years."
The album began to take shape in January last year, the songs coming in a flash - lyrics, melody and chords, sometimes all in an hour or less.
"I had never experienced anything like it," he says.
"They were coming out so fast and they were some of the best songs I had ever written.
"I felt like a marionette, my fingers moving to new and unexpected places on the piano. I really did feel like a man possessed."
With this new, unexpected collection of songs, Christiaan set out finding the right location to record them.
"I reached out to Musicbox Studios in Cardiff," he explains. With Bernie Plain (drums), Mark Foley (bass) and Graham Ryder (guitars) on board, A Man Possessed was recorded in April, 2011.
It came naturally to Christiaan, eldest son of songwriting legend Jimmy Webb (Wichita Lineman, Galveston, By The Time I get To Phoenix), Christiaan came to public attention as part of the Webb Brothers, a band he formed with his brother Justin. The album was produced by Charlie Francis (REM, High Llamas, Turin Brakes), with guest performances from Christiaan's good friends Romeo Stodart and Angela Gannon, from the Magic Numbers, and acts from the Cardiff area.
He plays the Static Gallery on April 19 (tickets £7 from Probe and ticketline), so look out for stand-out tracks Midnight Moon, recalling his best work with the Webb Brothers, Life Support and My Best Intentions, which express Christiaan's melancholy.
"This album is a shout-out to my childhood heroes - John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Billy Joel, Elton John, Billy Preston and Jimmy Webb. I would especially like to thank George Harrison, who I believe was my spiritual guide throughout this project.
"If you are ever possessed by a spirit, I recommend George Harrison."