FAN the Industrial-pop flames with "Velour."

Photo by Gael Herrera

FAN is the one-man band helmed by Meric Long, who you might recognize from his other band The Dodos. And while his new project shares many of his The Dodos' melodic methods, he mostly trades in his guitar for synthesizers to create multi-layered throbbing waves of sound that effortlessly carry you along.

The first time I listened to Barton’s Den it was a little mellower than I expected, but the second and third times revealed that the songs were actually driving pretty steadily ahead at a quicker pace. The synths have the effect of creating a sense of aural drag and I think that’s what tricked my ears the first time. This ain’t mellow, kids.

And then I hit the penultimate song of the album, "Velour," and almost wanted to dance around the room. It’s a it’s all roiling sound that is close to Industrial, but Long’s sweetly delivered vocals turn it into pure pop instead of something that might grate. It’s my favorite track on the album, amidst an already strong collection of songs that will win just about anyone over.

Super big plus is if you dig "Velour" too, you don't have to wait until the album's release on May 4 to hear the whole thing! If you buy the CD or vinyl versions you get an MP3 download of the entire album immediately. Sweet!