Unknown Component’s ‘The Infinite Definitive’ a

definitive success

If the Jack-of-all-trades had a real name, it would probably be Keith Lynch.

This guy plays every single instrument in his one-man band, Unknown Component.

Lynch began the project eight years ago in his hometown, Iowa City, Iowa, surviving off self-promotion.

He’s a self-taught musician who plays guitar, piano and drums on all of his recordings.

He also produces and mixes each of his albums in his own independent studio in addition to creating the album artwork.

With seven independently released CDs under his belt already, I would say he’s a force to be reckoned with.

His latest album, “The Infinite Definitive,” coming out October 12, doesn’t stray too far from his previous CDs. It almost sounds like a continuation album.

If you haven’t heard the band before, his sound is a bit grunge, a tad indie and a pinch punk.

At times you can hear a late eighties, early nineties flare in the rhythm guitar and fairly simple backbeats.

Which brings me to the topic of Lynch’s voice it’s dated, and that’s the only thing that I would change.

His voice, mostly punk-influenced, sounds like the illegitimate child of Billie Joe Armstrong, Tom DeLonge and Kurt Cobain.

It isn’t anywhere near as distinct or controlled, but you can hear his intention.

A few of my favorite tracks include “Foundation of Rebellion,” “Moving Out of Frame” and “The Experience of Understanding.”

“Foundation of Rebellion” has a great guitar intro, rhythm and lead blending together in a melody that creates an air of anticipation. Unfortunately, it sounds much more epic in comparison to the rest of the song.

“Moving Out of Frame” also has a great intro that carries on through the rest of the song. The drum fills, instead of the usual 4/4 beat for the first half of the song, keep things interesting as well.

The ethereal guitar in the beginning of “The Experience of Understanding” actually reminded me of “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap. Lynch keeps the piano simple but powerful, playing the chords in eighth and quarter notes through most of the song.

It was a really interesting listen, even just the music alone.

Lynch’s lyrics are cryptic, sometimes sounding very hopeless, which is fine for a couple of songs, but a bit much for an entire album.

For example, in the song “Future Circles,” he says, “You look in every mirror to see what’s on your mind/You’re surrounded by the memories of a life you couldn’t find.”

And in “The Experience of Understanding,” he says, “Down the broken rows I still travel/I arrange every image in a line/ And doubt is a method of survival.”

It’s nothing that will make you want to hold yourself in a corner while you rock back and forth, but it’s not warm and fuzzy either.

It just seems to be inspired by a lot of personal experiences that lead to some sort of sad realization. But, I guess that’s the story of a lot of people’s lives.

Aside from that, the simple fact that Lynch is talented is obvious.

It takes a lot of time, effort and dedication to embark on a musical journey as he’s done with “The Infinite Definitive.”

Lynch is definitely someone to keep an eye on.