Guitarist Greg Lisher is best known for his long tenure in Camper Van Beethoven, as well as his work in the CVB spinoff Monks of Doom. But he’s hardly idle when those groups aren’t working. His fourth solo album, Underwater Detection Method puts the man known for quirky postpunk and art rock in the realm of space rock. Using synthesizers as a base, Lisher adds propulsive grooves, sensuous guitars, and a sense of, well, space to make lush instrumental tracks that would sound just as good soundtracking a documentary on string theory as they would coming out of the radio. “Tunneling,” “All Things Japanese,” and “Zen and the Art of Long Distance Driving” roll along as near perfect blends of groove, texture, and melody, while “Planets Unknown” and “Late Afternoon Progression” engage in lovely ambient balladry. There are lots of musicians doing similar work, but Lisher’s lack of pretension and ear for a good tune make Underwater Detection Method a standout in the cosmic rock marathon.
