If Isaac Brock wasn't a raving lunatic, Modest Mouse might sound a lot like Model A. This one-man-band's music shares many elements with theirs -- chords that might sound country-ish if they weren't employed in such a twisting, angular fashion, an unspoken understanding of melancholy, wordplay-riddled lyrics and compact pop compositions that pack a real punch. Songs such as opener "Sicker than You" repeatedly juxtapose and rotate simple elements to create charming, relatively complex songs like thin paper folding into cute little origami swans. Alan Foreman's overdubbed "ooo-ooo-ooohs", subtle washes of keyboard, and bouncy vocal samples dance above and beneath the placid surface of the predictable four-chord progressions, casting a playful new light on the song's simple spine every fifteen seconds or so. This is the formula that carries I Saw it in a Picture, an assured debut from a talented young man.

"All I Take in Today" again calls for Modest Mouse comparisons; the reverse-gated guitar plucks (that's what they sound like, anyway) near the song's end call to mind any number of sounds that Brock and company have used in their work. However, it would be lazy to label Model A as a knockoff, or even derivative -- the direction in which "All I Take in Today" moves is so far removed from anything Modest Mouse would do that it's foolish to assume Foreman even knows of their existence. Ultimately, the comparison is useful only to tell the other band's fans that they should seriously consider looking into Model A's laid-back take on this familiar sound. "New Rochelle"'s slow, thoughtful build from melancholy strumming to warm, snuggly retro folk-pop should be argument enough.

"In the Process of Knowing Nothing"'s twisty groove is made even more lovable by Foreman's strong use of the dreaded vocal overdub. He sounds as though he's whispering, singing, harmonizing and speaking all at once. The song exists in a vague sweet spot between saloon Americana and electronic No-Wave, eventually building to the sort of gentle exhilaration that only a few musicians can really sell. "Gathering Thoughts" continues in the same direction, adding interesting guitar embellishments. You can almost picture Foreman leading cattle through an empty dance club while you listen to this one -- almost, but not quite.

Then, just as you're getting settled in, balls-out hard rocker "Allright to be Stale" will blast the fuck out of your unsuspecting ears. It's a predictable but funny trick that leaves you ill-prepared for the delicate, piano-tinged "Inside there's a Quiet". "Stars Burn Out" again explores the barren planes of the empty dance floor, sounding more alone than ever, while "Fill these Cans" is more in Elliot Smith's territory, with Foreman's voice almost subliminal, sliding up and down while his crisp drumming loops against a gorgeous, twinkling melody. By now it should be clear that I Saw it in a Picture is one of the best self-released debuts you'll hear all year, but there's still an ethereal instrumental ("Sleepy City"), another threadbare folk-pop song ("Hello, Hello"), and epic, ear-tickling closer "Reason" to press home the argument.

This is fantastic work. You have to wonder: if Alan Foreman can do all this on his own in his first outing, what can he do in the future? What could he do with a band?

Whatever he does next, it can't come soon enough.