In the late ’90s, imagining Pedro the Lion frontman David Bazan making an electronic album would’ve been laughable. Bazan’s sparse arrangements were, for many, the antidote to the overproduced, electronics-driven music that was just beginning to repopulate college radio airwaves. Hearing the grace with which Bazan makes the transition into beats and synths on 2016’s Blanco years later is a bit surreal. Compiled from a monthly 7-inch series, the record’s synth-driven soundscapes are such a natural fit with his voice and songwriting that it’s easy to forget what he sounded like without the gear; it might even make you want his whole catalog remixed to sound like Blanco. Acoustic guitars sneak their way into the songs, as do allusions to religion—both of which work just fine. But the album’s best moments are when he ditches these old crutches and makes something that sounds like he’s leaving his faith-questioning, guy-with-acoustic-guitar self firmly in the past. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON