In2 the Future

With Waves on Waves’ self-titled proper debut, pansexual lead singer Kevin Thornton entombs the hayseed glam-pop of his 2004 release Had a Sword under layers of sublime reverb. In the process, Thornton completes a sonic metamorphosis from Had a Sword’s pentatonic queer spirtuals to Waves on Waves’ cacophonous new-wave rockers.

Had a Sword was hypothetically Thornton’s big-break album from his since-scrapped namesake rock trio. High-strung and theatrical, Had a Sword stuck out like a sore thumb on the local music scene. For starters, the album was tinged with homoeroticism and a phallic album title, which is career poison in a town where Jacob and Josh: Nemesis Rising was played for yucks. On the Richter scale of sexual ambiguity, Had a Sword was about an 8.

Music Row Magazine crowed on about Had a Sword’s “fascinating individualism” while music biz fellers just crowed. After a few cockteases of a record deal, Thornton became an unintentional Behind the Music punchline. One sabbatical to South America and name change later, Waves on Waves was meshed together from Thornton’s old band. The results speak for themselves: This is dense music, with crunchy guitars and airy synth grooves looped over Enoch Porch’s machine-gun-crisp drum lines.

“Get on your feet / And I mean get up to a brand new beat,” Thornton warbles on “Say Goodnight.” These lips don’t lie. If Waves on Waves sounds like Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me minus the plodding gothic pop clichés, it’s no mistake. This version of Thornton 2.0 is a rich synth-pop homage to Robert Smith. (Heck, Thornton’s mascara-caked face in the CD insert glossy is straight out of 1987’s In Orange tour.)

The standout tracks include the sinuously melodic “Your Operator,” with bassist Luke Aaron Jones’ shivering guitar ringing clear. As always, the sweetly intimate harmonies of Thornton and Porch hold everything together. On “Modern Man,” Thornton’s lilting falsetto is suspended over rising synths, and his voice intertwines with Porch’s amiable tenor.

In the intervening years, the band has developed an unfortunate addiction for numbered song titles. The point is drilled home relentlessly in choice cuts such as “2 Late,” “U Moved Me In2 the Future,” “We Want 2” and “2Night We Dream.” The Prince Rogers Nelson Affliction (trademark pending) lends plausibility to the new Thornton. But it’s a move that comes across reeking of art school pretentiousness.

Still, Waves on Waves offer glimmers of the old Thornton. “A Lighter Load” is filled with David Lynch-like glumness and tenderly clear-cut arpeggios. The ultimate draw is Thornton’s voice, cracked with remarkable clarity. It’s a voice that still packs an emotional punch, even in the stylized gauze.