Veteran studio auteur Brad Laner continues to draw inspiration from shoegaze and Brian Wilson-esque psych-pop on his first album under his own name, Neighbor Singing. The Los Angeles-based singer, guitarist and songwriter first came to prominence as a member of early-1990s American dream-pop band Medicine, later drawing notice for his playing in the likeminded group Lusk and, more recently, for the industrial-strength experiments of Electric Company. On Neighbor Singing, Laner steps away from the avant-garde -- thankfully -- for some of his most immediate songs yet. But this more modest psych-pop effort still offers enough finely textured arrangements to keep the neighbors wondering what's going in there. From the woozy, effects-laden harmonies of opener "Find Out" to the multi-layered, vaguely Indian-tinged electric guitars of closing highlight "Circumscribe," fans of Canadian artist Caribou's excellent new album Andorra should find plenty to like here. At other times, as on the reserved, piano-based "Arlie," Laner's weary, lo-fi vocals and elaborate arrangements recall the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Laner may not be alone in his influences, but the way he assembles them can be as distinctive as the guitar tone he brought to Medicine. And Neighbor Singing has plenty of pop sugar to help the psychedelics go down.

-- Marc Hogan