Special Affections Secret City ***

This is what happens when Toronto musician John O'Regan puts on the ritz, the glitz and the eyeshadow and takes a break from the usual routine. Compared with the music he produces in indie-rock band D'Urbervilles, Diamond Rings is a horse of a much different (brighter, swankier, more extravagavant) colour. O'Regan's stock for his alter- ego consists of electropop hooks and tunes that pop into your ear, put the Human League on the stereo and stick around for afternoon tea. When you deconstruct Something Elseand Wait & See, there's little in the bare bones to suggest what's going to happen when O'Regan goes to work with his sturdy baritone and meticulous approach to songcraft. There's certainly enough wit and guile on show throughout to suggest that Diamond Rings could well become a valuable commodity in time. See myspace.com/ diamondrings

Download tracks: Something Else, Wait See