The ceaselessly creative Matthew Dear releases his fifth album this week on the ever-impressive Ghostly International. The man formerly known as Audion, who garnered much acclaim for his fusion of pop and minimal techno on his first two albums, brings us an record that is a lighter, brighter response to it’s predecessor, 2010′s Black City.

Dear’s latest productions creak and groan, with slivers of guitar, electric bass, and drum kit darting in and out among the synths and samples. Beams delights in leftfield juxtapositions: the leathery, handclap-heavy funk of “Up & Out” barrels into the anxious wig-out of “Overtime”; the dark, burbling dirge “Shake Me” sets the stage for the melancholic simmer of album closer “Temptation”.

Beams’ lyrics, meanwhile, are deeply personal.  ”Do I feel love like all of the others or is this feeling only mine?” Dear sings on the strutting lead-off single “Her Fantasy”, later wondering “Am I one heartbeat away from receiving a damaging shock to my life?” Dear has grown into his songwriting voice, and he wears his current lyrical perspective—that of a man with something to lose—with an impressive grace.

The album is ultimately a great showcase for Dear’s chameolonic musical talents. You can stream it in its entirety below…

Matthew Dear – Beams by ghostly

Beams is released on August 27th.