Originally written off as a nonthreatening rejoinder to Jeff Buckley, Duncan Sheik has quietly redeemed himself since his self-titled 1996 debut. Trading in the airy detachment of previous releases for a more immediate sound, the New York singer-songwriter´s fourth album fizzes with electronics, distortion, and a newfound pop sensibility. Producer Patrick Leonard (Madonna, Jewel, Elton John) keeps things bright and breezy, forcefully shaking Sheik´s predisposition for Nick Drake-style moodiness on wonderfully optimistic numbers like "On a High" and "Start Again." But the most surprising twist comes from "On Her Mind," cowritten with Mick Jones of Foreigner, a track that fully dramatizes Sheik´s desire to breathe new life into his folk-rock roots.