Waxing Gibbous

First things first: before you go looking it up like we had to, "gibbous" means "expanding outward." That's a pretty good description of Malcolm Middleton's approach on his fifth solo album. Middleton was one half of Scottish alt-miserablists Arab Strap -- sort of the dark, debauched yang to Belle & Sebastian's twee-pop yin -- and since the band split, he and former partner Aidan Moffat have moved to opposite ends of the sonic spectrum. If we can squint hard enough to envision Moffat as the John Lennon of the pair, with his stripped-down, hard-edged solo efforts, then Middleton must be the Paul McCartney, turning out sparkling, elegantly produced, pop-friendly tunes.

Middleton's songs certainly aren't lacking in lyrical heft, but the arrangements glow with so much endearing elan that it's possible to overlook what's going on in the words. At times, the mix of acoustic guitar tapestries, tasteful synthesizer, and snappy beats brings to mind vintage Prefab Sprout, though Waxing Gibbous bears its own distinct sound. When the sonic surroundings get sparse, as on "Ballad of Fuck All" and "Made Up Your Mind," the heart of darkness that beats beneath Middleton's frothy pop becomes easier to discern, but whatever the mood or mode, Waxing Gibbous is the kind of record people would pay actual money for if people still bought albums