UnknownComponent

The Unknown Component is the guise taken by one Keith Lynch, a mysterious, inscrutable singer/songwriter who plays multiple instruments and assembles, layers and tweaks his creations to life in his Coralville apartment/sound-lab.

“In Direct Communication,” the latest manifesto from this prolific lo-fi/DIY auteur, spools out an intriguing brand of melodic folk-rock interwoven with prog- and electronica-influenced keys that’s counterpointed by a relentless downpour of gothic gloom via Lynch’s slightly bruised, adenoidal vocals (a la Jules Shear) and the kind of techno/mechanical vocabulary that includes such titles as “Retrospectively Speaking,” “Identifying Interpretation,” “Never Ceases to Remain Unchanged” and “The Inconsistent System.”

Odd (and dry) as that may sound, the sum of it all is a slightly mad, seductively dark beauty that rewards close attention with intricately constructed tunes, kinetic rhythm patterns and inventive arrangements.

One easily can imagine any number of these tracks being juiced up into majestic, mind-shattering sonic cascades in a major, well-appointed studio — and perhaps that will happen one day — but for now, Lynch’s budget-restricted claustrophobia has its own compelling charm.

(Keith Lynch, aka “Unknown Component,” will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at Public Space One, 129 E. Washington St. with Des Moines’ Christian Krieg opening. There is no cover charge; CDs are $7 each.)

– Jim Musser