Dolby was one of the most substantial artists to come out of the post-new-wave. He intuitively knew how to imbue synth-driven music with a certain warmth. His programs and beats were, like those of Tears for Fears, a cut above. The Flat Earth is by and large a thoughtful, low-key album, the centerpiece of which is a long, jazzy take on Dan Hicks' "I Scare Myself." "Hyperactive!" wraps the disc up with a blast of hotwired funk-rock.
This article appears in Jun 20-26, 2007.