** His Name Is Alive

FT. LAKE

(4AD)

Some boys get chemistry sets. Others get home recording studios. Back in his teens, Warren DeFever, who essentially is His Name Is Alive, converted his parents' suburban Detroit basement into a Hipsville USA assembly line of experimental pop. The arrangement has afforded this mad scientist the opportunity to kick out the indie jams in various guises. Working with singer Karin Oliver and 4AD honcho/producer Ivo Watts-Russel, DeFever emerged in 1990 with a note-perfect copy of the iconic label's patented gumbo of goth-ambient atmospherics and banshee vocals. He then moved on to more abrasive and eclectic fare, employing everything from guitar distortion to homemade loops. And on His Name Is Alive's last full-length, Stars on ESP, he offered a beguiling re-enactment of the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations." The concept this time revolves around new wave and soul projections (the disc's producer, Steve King, has worked with Aretha Franklin and Funkadelic). The tunes gurgle with puny Casio keyboards and synth-pop handclaps, Dexy's Midnight Runners-style goofabilly, a little R&B, and even Hendrixy rock. Unfortunately, the cosmic sloppiness of the soul jams suggests that DeFever may be reaching for something beyond his grasp.

-- Patrick Bryant