Following hot on the heels of his universally-acclaimed Leave Luck to Heaven, Matthew Dear returns with the mini-LP Backstroke, on which he expands his stylistic boundaries and solidifies his place as not only a master of micro-house, but also as a major force in experimental pop.Here, vocals feature more prominently than ever, infusing the music with stunning accessibility and depth while more familiar elements of Dear's otherworldly style are kneaded into a perfect mix. Also at the forefront are stronger inclinations for tunefulness and the avant-garde, as dark cacophonies of swirling, disembodied voices often give way to gorgeous melodies that carry the record along seamlessly. Within all these songs, thoughtful lyrics also demonstrate a disarming penchant for the poetic that is all too rare in the increasingly clinical genre of electronic music.Showing a healthy heart at the core of the machine, the oddball pop of Backstroke accomplishes what few records can: an overwhelmingly successful fusion of disparate elements that work perfectly under the guidance of a relentlessly clever and innovative mind.