JIM NOIR: JIM NOIR

JIM NOIR: JIM NOIR

Despite the name, the music of this self-titled album isn't all dark. Bouncy English pop-rock mixed with a healthy dose of electronica permeates this disc from top to bottom. It could almost pass for a dance album if it wasn't for the nagging feeling that something heavier and more significant lurks behind the catchy hooks and sometimes formulaic songwriting. While Noir's music might bring to mind carefree smiles and long-awaited reunions, the overall vision is indeed a dark one. Jim Noir is a concept album about a doomed spaceman. And in the tradition of fellow English pop-rocker David Bowie's Space Oddity, Noir's spaceman isn't making it back home. Or so I …