John Vanderslice, "pixel Revolt"

John Vanderslice's credits run deep in the indie world, but you might not know it. He's been a touring member of Beulah, producer for Spoon and the Mountain Goats and has contributed vocals on a Death Cab For Cutie EP. With such a great resume, it's hard to believe that his solo work is as neglected as it tends to be.

But Vanderslice has been busy the past few years with his own songwriting: "Pixel Revolt" is his third album in four years, and a probably his most memorable work to date. Calling on the help of Mountain Goat frontman John Darnielle to touch up his wording and master celloist Erik Friedlander to facilitate the string arrangements, Vanderslice wrestles with post-9/11 politics, lost loves and missing pet rabbits.

The result is a late era-Beatles-sounding album with some electronic tweaks here and there that fits perfectly with his rather soft-spoken voice. Standout tracks are the haunting "Golden Gate," "Letter to the East Coast" and "Trance Manual," a poignant tale of a journalist's visit to an Iraqi brothel.

"Pixel Revolt" also offers positive proof that Vanderslice is much more than a session musician or knob turner. Fans of the singer/songwriter genre will fall head over heels for the direction Vanderslice is taking -- now he needs just a little more exposure.