UnknownComponent

First of all, whoever wrote the comparisons to Radiohead, U2 and Elliott Smith in this Iowa act’s press kit must have been shrooming - Unknown Component can be fairly ambitious for a one-man pop-rock project, but that’s really what we’re talking about here at the end of the day. Main Component Keith Lynch has a cool voice, melodic yet ragged and earnest when it reaches for the upper register, and the guy knows how to write a pretty good song; “Into The Sun” is a highlight, and the baroque “Somewhere A Light Has Gone Out” and pulsing “Never Ceases to Remain Unchanged” fare well above the average. Too bad, then, that they’re surrounded by mediocre, generic tunes like “Retrospectively Speaking,” “Between Guilt and Relief” and “Brought Up to Be Put Down,” and presented unflatteringly with muddy, too-quiet production that just doesn’t cut it these days, even for a homespun recording. There’s potential here, but some objective editing - like, down to an EP’s worth of tunes - and mixing expertise would’ve showcased it in a much better light. - Scott Harrell