I like what happens when people sidestep or move on from their bands. Sometimes the results are what you'd expect (viz. Thom Yorke's solo work as evidence of his endless love for contemporary electronic music) and sometimes it's something absolutely enlightening (Panda Bear's post-Young Prayer solo output). Scott Reitherman, formerly of Throw Me the Statue, is releasing his debut album as Pillar Point. I always liked Throw Me the Statue, though I can't say I actively listened to their music a whole lot--there were some songs on a mix CD, and I recall hearing "Hi-Fi Goons" (which I loved) pretty often on the radio.Pillar Point is a very controlled effort, not in the sense where it seems like Reitherman is being cautious or restraining himself or anything, but the songwriting seems careful and deliberate--you get the impression that he'd been thinking about these songs for a long time. What it reminds me of most, especially for that sense of an artist enjoying himself and taking pleasure in new freedom, is Chris Richards' post-Q & Not U solo album as Ris Paul Ric, Purple Blaze (recorded in collaboration with Tim Hecker). Diamond Mine is a good representation of what's happening on this album: it's playful and exuberant, and it is almost perniciously catchy. Pillar Point is the kind of record that is interesting both for what it is and for what it represents as a step towards something new. You can listen to the whole thing over at Hype Machine.[BUY Pillar Point][Photo is from that collection of Tarkovsky's polaroids]