With members who've spent time at the respective helms of Hum (Jeff Dimpsey), Castor (Jeff Garber) and Compound Red (James Minor), National Skyline is something of an indie supergroup. Formed in 1996 by Dimpsey, the band originated as a 40 minute song -- that is, the group began under the auspices of recording a behemoth of a tune that eventually led to concert dates and the addition of Minor on guitar.

This = Everything, the band's first proper full length, is a disjointed jaunt through analog beats, Bono-esque bellowing and the rapid thumping of a drum machine, all of which which come together in an album that pays as much attention to sonic detail as Wall Street gives to the Dow. The sleek and consciously prescient cover artwork, reminiscent of imagery from an Aldous Huxley novel or perhaps the more austere themes of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, is a striking parallel to the band's overall sound: blank, moving and laconic images flash past in the blink of an eye.

Make no mistake, this is a solid album -- but if you think it sounds like it's a few steps shy of Kid A, you aren't alone. The sparse vocals and compelling yet somewhat enigmatic melodic enchantments of "Reinkiller" would fit well next to the scattered seductiveness of Radiohead's "Idioteque", and a similar tonality remains prevalent throughout. Perhaps This = Everything's strongest track, "Day On the Beach" also reveals the greatest debt to the band's influences, incorporating the meandering guitar chiming of the Cure, with a sweet falsetto functioning as equal parts voice and instrument.

The album works best toward its conclusion, as later songs, though not necessarily the disc's strongest cuts, fall more succinctly on each other. "Morse Code" comes across in much the same way that Brian Eno's Music For Airports might if it had vocals, while "Make it Stop" uses a classic piano melody as an overtone to the optimistic undulation of synthetic beats. Finally, there's "The Lock", melding an old-meets-new violin/guitar tango.

An altogether and entertaining listen, This = Everything shows as much promise and attention to detail as any of its members' former bands or projects.