The The is the nom de pop of Matt Johnson, a young Londoner who's been bubbling under on the British music scene for five years now but who may break through here a lot sooner. Johnson isn't exactly a one-man band – on Soul Mining, his U.S. debut, he gets significant assistance from such friends as ex-Squeeze keyboardist Jools Holland, Scottish dance-pop virtuoso Thomas Leer and Orange Juice drummer Zeke Manyika – but he does create a lot of the sounds on his records himself, mainly with synthesizers.

What distinguishes Johnson from the rest of the British synth-pop horde is his sense of structure and his unerring ear for sonic definition. A good example is "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)," basically a simple song, but with a ferocious drumbeat that really sweeps you up. Equally compelling is the extravagant "Giant," whose winning, marimbalike riff is kicked along by a clattering percussion track that evolves into a sort of neo-Cozy Cole drum interlude and is in turn overtaken by a primordial vocal chant. The highlight, however, is the hypnotic "Uncertain Smile," which features an extended and entirely gorgeous piano solo by the exceptionally talented Holland.

If there's a problem, it's with Johnson's obsessively self-absorbed lyrics – in "The Twilight Hour," he sings about "cutting chunks from your heart and rubbing the meat into your eyes," and that pretty well sums up Soul Mining's message. Youthful angst and anomie are fine in their place, but not all over the place. Nevertheless, Johnson creates pop music with an agreeably individual stamp: In the current sea of synth-pop sludge, Soul Mining stands out. (RS 421)

KURT LODER