On his solo debut, former Edson lead singer Pelle Carlberg doesn't move far from his former band's template: quiet, often percussion-free, and usually acoustic, these 11 songs balance between Nick Drake starkness and twee pop ornamentation. The latter songs, which feature sunshiny trumpets, handclaps, and la-la-la backing vocals, tend to be melodically stronger, but Carlberg seems to prefer the former, judging by the distribution of same throughout this 11-track album. The problem is that Carlberg's pleasant but entirely average voice and nothing-special guitar playing aren't intrinsically interesting enough to sustain the solo acoustic tunes. This is particularly frustrating since full-band songs like &Bastards Don't Blush,& &A Tasteless Offer,& and &How I Broke My Foot and Met Jesus& also feature the sharpest lyrics on the album, much more incisive and clever than most of the comparatively earnest solo tunes. An entire album's worth of full-band material, along with perhaps a solo acoustic EP for fans, might have been more entertaining.