Jet Black

Reg Vermue's 2009 offering is a quirky blend of fey, soulful vocals and mid-fi indie rock with some alternative electronic beats thrown in for good measure. Vermue filters influences like glam rock, the blues, blue-eyed soul, and 1990s-style alternative disco à la the Pet Shop Boys. He has an unconventional gruff yet high voice, and the album ebbs and flows based on how well that voice fits the particular genre he's surfing at the moment. Opening track "Coastline" is the definite standout: the song's distorted, bright guitars and off-kilter tempo sit nicely with the Marc Bolan-style vocal phrasing Vermue employs. Collaborator Elizabeth Powell from Land of Talk co-wrote the song and her voice is nearly as prominent as Vermue's, making for a nice counterpoint. Elsewhere, there are some obvious nods to Roxy Music ("How We Exit"), an indie approximation of Gorillaz ("Falling Back"), and plenty of plink-plonk kitchen sink sound effects and one-man band-sounding instrumentation to keep the mood light. The slow-burning "Oh My God," Jet Black's other standout, has a more ambient feel with Vermue's soulful croon fitting perfectly over gurgling bass and assorted electronic patter.