Though it's nowhere near as confrontational or abrasive as his work with at the time, 's self-titled 1979 solo album takes many of the elements of the group's sound and explores them individually: The crisp drum pattern and pretty, naive synth melody in sounds like an extrapolation of the proto- and were working on at the time, while features the insistent, sibilant drums and ominous drones that became trademarks. could've easily appeared on one of the group's albums, though it's interesting to hear 's whispered, monotone delivery instead of 's alien-beatnik howl. But isn't just a album by another name; on many of the songs, indulges his leanings in different ways. the album's seven-minute centerpiece, mixes a wind chime-like melody and gusty synths into a hypnotic, though far from serene, meditation. mine similar territory, juxtaposing layers of synths and stiff percussion for a mechanical but still melodic feel. Overall, sounds like an enjoyable working holiday for ; it features lots of interesting ideas that aren't quite fully developed but are still well-worth hearing, especially for fans -- as long as they don't expect -caliber material. ~ Heather Phares