For Passsengers [EP]

For Passengers is the four-song CD EP debut of Miami, FL's Poulain. Poulain is essentially a one-man band, built around the bleeding heart of one Isaac Lekach (ex-Buddy System Indeed). Here, he presents four lovelorn tales of twee, approximating the clean-lined, slightly androgynous pop of Magnetic Fields and White Town along the way, and sounding all the while like a lovelorn Andy Partridge who replaced his sarcasm with a dear diary book of drippy dream poems. "Completely Uninterrupted," "All You Are," and "For You to Decide" -- which all seem to be constructed around the same simple, pristine chord progression -- are delivered in an articulated, slightly deadpan style suggesting that lines like "All you are is beautiful" and "I wanted to wake you and introduce you to the moon" are a bit of an affectation, more of what music that sounds like this should say than any kind of tangible sentiment. Even if Poulain is simply an experiment for Lekach, that doesn't mean that "All You Are" isn't a gorgeous song. Gently strummed acoustic guitar, a straightforward drumbeat, and touches of synth make a bed for Lekach's croon and the angelic supporting vocals of pal Rocky Ordoñez (Seevenus), and when the instrumentation drops out in the chorus, you can't help but feel all warm inside. Poulain's wispy indie pop might not be substantial enough to support a full-length album, but For Passengers will definitely give the heartsick their medicine.