It's rare to find an artist who merits the description "techno singer-songwriter", but Detroit-dweller Matthew Dear is one such. While machine-tooled "four on the floor" beats dominate the proceedings, Dear has clearly put much thought and effort into the layering of his high-low vocals and the fugitive electronic riffs and effects heartfullysplashes around them. Melodies aren't his natural habitat, and the most arresting track, Don and Sherri, is not one you'll ever sing in the shower; but there's a weird catchiness hovering nearby that combines with Dear's urgently confiding not-quite-singing style to hold the listener rapt. The result approximates a cross between Daft Punk and the indie electro-punks of the early 1980s. The new New Order, anyone?
Ghostly International GI-65