The indie rock band Unknown Component is about to release their eighth album, “The Infinite Definitive,” on Oct. 12. What is especially intriguing about this release, and the entirety of Unknown Component’s discography, is that the sole member of this collective (or rather lack thereof) is Keith Lynch. Lynch hails from Iowa City, Iowa and composed and played every instrumental part featured on the album. Additionally, he is responsible for both writing and singing all the lyrics on this release, and he recorded and mixed the album himself as well. According to the “band’s” website, Lynch is also completely self-taught on the guitar, piano, drums, and bass. Besides the cover artwork and inside panels, “The Infinite Definitive” is entirely his work. Lynch’s self-creation and self-promotion of this album is a remarkable feat in the age of “blockbuster” music releases accompanied by colossal budgets and micro-produced releases.

It comes as a let down, then, that the actual music on this release is a little lackluster. Most songs on the album consist of jangly guitars accompanied by bass, drums, and vocals. The Unknown Component’s sound is similar to Radiohead sprinkled with elements of The Smiths and Muse.

The instrumentation itself isn’t entirely bad, and at times, Lynch’s playing fits the songs perfectly. On tracks like “Moving Out of Frame” and “Collections of The State,” electric guitars belt out sweeping, oscillating waves of melodies. Lynch also lays down solid bass and drum rhythms as backing for most tracks on this release. Finally, the piano on several tracks, notably the closer Electric Dissolution, offers a nice change of pace from the mostly guitar-driven songs.

Unfortunately, though, the majority of the tracks on the “The Infinite Definitive” initially sound flat. It’s as if there is little depth and variation to the arrangements. Without extensively listening to each track, it almost sounds as if most tracks blend into the others and are undistinguishable. There are certainly some standout melodies and arrangements on specific tracks (like the aforementioned three), but generally, it seems like the musical landscape of the Unknown Component is a rather featureless plateau, devoid of the surprises and excitement we associate with “great” music. To compact this criticism, it doesn’t sound as if Lynch intended this effect either in a conscious manner.

Lynch’s voice doesn’t help either. It’s not horrid by any measure, but his emulation of Thom Yorke-esque melodic whining falls short. The vocals never seem to quite hit the right notes, but they aren’t that far off either. Lynch’s work is mostly palatable, but the vocals do prevent the album from truly taking off. And it’s a shame, too. Lynch’s lyrics, despite the semi-ridiculous track titles (like “When the Illusion is What it Seems”), are captivating. He sings within the traditional singer-songwriter realm of heartbreak and despair, but he also delves into something beyond that with the occasional metaphysical musings as well. Several tracks on The Infinite Definitive have catchy vocal patterns and phrasing, and listeners can hear the emotional engagement of Lynch in the biting quality of his vocals.

And that is the central dilemma of this album. It isn’t overwhelmingly bad, but on the other hand, it is not overwhelmingly good either. The Unknown Component seems to be so close to finding a distinctive and interesting sound, but the flatness of the instrumentation and piercing quality of Lynch’s vocals seem to destine the man behind “The Infinite Definitive” to continue to remain an “Unknown” affair.