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Glen Phillips was the main voice of ‘90’s pop band Toad The Wet Sprocket, a band that had a pretty nice run of success. But since the band split, there has been a noticeable lack of magic coming from Phillips’ music. His solo efforts, including 2006’ Mr. Lemons, have been good, but not coming close to some of the great Toad material. Now, with a short detour into unique subject matter, Phillips has returned with a six-song EP called Secrets of the New Explorers. Phillips’ buddy John Askew collaborated on this effort, and though Phillips came from scientist parents, the subject matter idea was sparked by a conversation the two had when they began writing the songs. The result? An extremely interesting diversion for Phillips, with song titles like “Solar Flare” and “Space Elevator.” Most of the tracks are decent, but there are flashes of brilliances, such as on “They’ll Find Me” and “The Spirit of Shackleton.” On those, if you change the lyrical content, they could have come straight from Toad’s stunning Dulcinea album. (LABEL: Umami Music)

MySpace link

David Fagin, former front man of the controversial group the Rosenbergs, has arrived with his debut solo effort, For Promotional Use Only. Fagin has been outspoken in his my-way-or-the-highway approach to the music industry, and was one of the first artists to realize that you can make money on your own without the help of a record label, and that in doing so you can retain creative control. Through it all, Fagin has remained true to himself and his fans, and has created a set of blissful, harmony-drenched pop that is a bit more personal and introspective than the straight-ahead fare of his former band. And while most of the 11 tracks are nicely arranged, and at times oddly happy sounding breakup tunes (“Mess of Love” and “Cry”), there are a few numbers here that are a cut above the rest. “Dust” is a driving, haunting rocker, and the dreamy “Neverland” is not only the best song on this album, it’s one of the best on anyone’s album this year. (Noshpit)

David Fagin MySpace Page

After a teaser of a four-song EP in 2007, Chicago rock band Absentstar is back with their debut full-length on Columbia Records, Sea Trials. This quintet has a Brit-pop feel, resembling a cross between the Killers, Keane, and a more melodic version of Blue October. Produced by Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, Absentstar delivers a 12-song set of blazing pop tunes with interesting arrangements and soaring choruses. Lead singer Derek Ingersoll tends to overdo it with that fake British vocal thing, but there’s no denying that this is a talented band with some solid songs. “Half Life” and “For God’s Sakes” are no-brainers as some of the best work here, and were also on the EP. But there is beauty in some of the newly released tracks, such as the haunting “Life Support,” which is driven by raunchy guitar riffs; and “All is Forgotten,” a really pretty piano anthem. Absentstar is not going to set the world on fire, but Sea Trials is certainly a promising debut. (Columbia)

Absentstar MySpace page