Colourblind Stereo (Bonus Track Edition)

Previously the frontman of Irish ska-pop outfit the Blizzards, Niall Breslin, aka Bressie, surprised everyone when he ditched his bandmates, relocated to London, and became a songwriter for hire for Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment label. His debut solo album, Colourblind Stereo, which continues his unexpected foray into pop territory, suggests he made the right move. Its 11 slickly produced tracks may be awash with layered synths and danceable beats, but this is no Guetta-esque exercise in formulaic floor-filling. Instead, it's an intelligent, if highly commercial, dance-pop record that sits somewhere between the glossy new wave of Duran Duran and Tears for Fears and fellow countrymen Snow Patrol's more recent dabbles with electro. "Can't Stay Young (Forever)," a classy trance-lite anthem inspired by a conversation with a tattoo artist, the Deadmau5-esque progressive house of "Wall of Sound," and the shimmering synth pop verses/indie disco chorus of "Good Intentions" (the cause of much discussion due to its undeniable similarity to the Cool Hearts' "Halfway Home") all pack the necessary punch needed for a night on the tiles. But the more reflective moments, such as the '80s-tinged kaleidoscopic sci-fi of "Android Heart" (co-written with Gomez's Tom Gray), the muted beats and melancholic harmonies of the lush "When You're Dreaming," and the soothing ambient closer, "Left the Party Too Soon," show he's just as capable of soundtracking the morning after. Indeed, it's only when he retreats back to his more familiar sound, such as the formulaic punk-pop of "Let's Make a Sequel" and the rather clumsy attempt at politics on "Animals," whose hair metal melodies seem to have taken their cue from the Def Leppard song of the near-same name, that the album begins to lose its focus. His previous fan base might be a little wary of coming with him on his reinvention, but seemingly out of nowhere, he might just have produced one of his homeland's best pop albums of the year. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi