This debut from electro rocker Simon Lord (Simian) and Big Beat vet Theo “DJ Touché” Keating (the Wiseguys) has a sinister allure when Keating’s dark, steely disco productions are paired with Lord’s whiny, desperate alto (“I Want Nothing,” “I Don’t Know”). Violence even seems imminent on the opener, “Some Way Through This,” as Lord addresses an unresponsive lover: “If my hands were round your throat / Would you tell me what I need to know?” Jazzy, organ-fueled standout “It’s Your Touch” provides a moment of uncharacteristically sunny relief.Curiously, one of the duo’s few real missteps is the thin and pointless “Repetition,” featuring Damon Albarn.
