Chris Walla

If you've been eagerly awaiting the first solo release from Chris Walla, odds are you've been waiting a little longer than expected. In late 2007, the Department of Homeland Security confiscated a hard drive containing master copies of Walla's work, in transit from Canada to the US. Field Manual is the final product of that dangerous material. The Death Cab producer/guitarist's debut is politically charged, featuring songs about Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and contraception. Coincidence that it was mistaken as a threat to our security? I think not.

Walla shows his versatility as he switches back and forth between quick-paced power-pop-such as in "Everybody On"-and modern, ambient pieces similar to his group's latest releases. Tracks like "Two-Fifty" entertain, but fail to define Walla's individual style.

Halfway through the album he finally finds a sound that fits him as a musician. "Our Plans, Collapsing" has a personal quality; Walla is no longer trying to emulate the Death Cab sound. His lyrics fuse with the desolate atmospherics to produce a genuinely identifiable sense of loneliness, rather than mere uninspired whining. From there, Walla transitions seamlessly into the drum-driven "Archer V. Light," which does well in juxtaposing styles without jarring.

The solo album is often difficult for musicians that have experienced so much success in a group. While Field Manual shows some glimpses of personal development, it's mostly nothing new-which is either a very good or very bad thing, depending on how you feel about Death Cab. Either way, just be ready to hear it at Starbucks.