• Songs for Imaginative People
  • Darwin Deez
  • Lucky Number

Always a musical outsider, Darwin Deez challenges the listener with discordant vocals over squishy beats, shredded guitar and scuttering electronica.

His self-titled debut, with its standout tracks Constellations and Radar Detector, pricked up the ears of those looking for something new and unusual in their music and, at best, this odd- looking creative soul — with his corkscrew curls and headband, is an antidote to the tsunami of bland commercial pop which washes over the charts.

His follow-up, however, is a more challenging listen. Darwin’s idiosyncratic off-key melancholy vocals and falsetto, particularly on opener (800 Human) grate and sit awkwardly over a more interesting electro arrangement which would actually work better if stripped of his vocals entirely.

While certain tracks, such as the awkward You Can’t Be My Girl appeal with a certain twisted humour, the joke is largely lost — buried beneath faux angst, self-loathing and hurt. There are lighter moments, nicely composed poetic couplets and the odd catchy melody, but, on the whole, it makes for uneasy listening which will disappoint fans of his previous outing.

It’s curious, even groundbreaking, but just not much fun. The ‘Imaginative People’ referred to in its title would have to be very broad-minded indeed to find enough here to repay repeat listening.