Alex Gordon's indie cred is unimpeachable: A former member of Loomer, producer for Kelo Williams and
DJ Pooh, collaborator with
"Blue" Gene Tyranny and Peter Gordon -- this guy has made more obscure music than pretty much anyone could dream of. On his solo debut, he has help from bassist Karl Leiker and programmer Siggi Baldursson (formerly of the Sugarcubes), and the resulting album is an interesting, if not always completely compelling, collection of mostly mid-tempo groove-based experimentalism. What labelmates
Anima Sound System do for dub and the Flying Dutchman does for trip-hop,
Gordon does for indie rock -- running it through a sort of electronic wringer and cutting the results up into intricate shapes. The music he ends up with sometimes meanders a bit, but just as often it hits the spot just right: Highlights include the firm but gentle "Waterlilies" and the ambient dreamscape "Orpheus Rising." Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson