When Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg released his first solo effort, "All This Sounds Gas," under the name Preston School of Industry [ tickets ] in 2001, comparisons couldn't be avoided between his work, the music of his former band Pavement [ tickets ], and that of better-known Pavement cofounder Stephen Malkmus [ tickets ], who had released his first solo album to strong reviews months earlier.

But with PSOI's second release, "Monsoon," Kannberg makes a good case that he's moving beyond his much-loved first band. Not that all signs of Pavement are absent here--the album still has a very mid-'90s, alt-rock feel. But there's a higher lo-fi to this music (most songs actually have clear beginnings AND ends), there's an infusion of country, and there are blatant moves toward the experimental--most notably in "Get Your Crayons Out!" with help from Wilco, another band whose members know something about reincarnating after a painful public breakup.

The melodies are strong, if a bit jangly at times, and Kannberg shows a real confidence in his new creation. And his melding of solid guitar work with doleful lyrics---"It's like Eastern Europe in summer," or, "I don't mind/I don't know if I'll even be alive in ten years time"--are often more likely to call to mind Lou Reed or Neil Young than the stuff he used to do with Steve what's-his-name.