In this day in age, it’s not strange to have self-released albums. It’s possible to make an entire album yourself if you have the right equipment. You don’t need a recording label. That’s what self-taught musician Kevin Lynch did in his long-term musical project, Unknown Component.

Starting from 2002, Lynch has released seven independent albums. as well as two unreleased music packages, and his newest album effort, The Infinite Definitive, is out now. Not only does Lynch create his own sound, he plays every instrument featured on the album and because it’s filled with so many different sounds and components that’s no small feat.

With a fresh sound, Unknown Component takes mellow rock and makes it interesting. Each song is about experiencing something different. It’s about feeling things as deeply as you can. It’s about living life, while recognizing the important little things that make the universe what it is. The music breathes contemplation and misunderstanding. His voice is angsty and anxious, giving you a human understanding of the songs as well as softening
you to his character. We can all relate to Lynch’s anxiety, whatever it is.

The album open’s with the grooving “Moving out of Frame.” It has a Queens of the Stone Age guitar style. It’s catchy and has a great alternative-rock, radio-friendly, guitar riff. It then moves into a lighter rock feel in the verses and switches back in forth between the two. It’s a great parallel to have both components on the same track. The vocals are raw and perfectly imperfect. This gives the track a vulnerability that adds to the backing instrumentals.

The strongest track on the album is, strangely enough, the album closer, “Electric Dissolution.” It feels like an electronic lullaby. The music swells and sways. The vocals are similar to the mellow tracks of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The lulling music opens your mind to your surroundings and it resonates in your ears like velvet.

“Foundation of Rebellion,” exudes franticness. The hard strumming, and quick beats give off such an anxiety that complements Lynch’s brisk vocals. “Every Measure and Space” holds a soulful, electric feel. The spacey ideals come forth in this song, and it’s easy to picture Lynch performing in collaboration with remaining members of Pink Floyd someday. They both hold the same spacey feel and the beats are slow, and deliberate. This you can’t help to refer to as “pretty.”

“When the Illusion is What It Seems,” is another interesting track. It feels surreal, and grows to be quite whiney in parts. But again, it never feels like the song’s unlistenable. It just adds to the “realness” factor of the track. It just feels right, all of it. The tempo changes, the looping light rock feel, it all comes together beautifully. “The Introduction is Arriving” falls into the same category. It makes great walking music because it connects you to whatever’s going on around you.

If you are looking to contemplate things while listening to a variety of sounds, check out the deep songs of Unknown Component on the new album, The Infinite Definitive out now.