Mike Uva: 'Static Songs'

I’ll admit that I have one of the biggest goofy streaks in the Midwest — just ask the students who’ve attended my editing seminars — so Mike Uva sucked me into his new album, “Static Songs,” as soon as I heard “Hook Boy.” The song, which is about a boy born with a hook, sounds a lot like a Frank Black tune and that’s a pretty big draw for me, too.

“Static Songs” includes nine well-crafted songs, mostly acoustic, but there are a couple of tracks, notably “Flip Me Over,” that mesh elements of the Talking Heads and the Cure with those of the Vulgar Boatmen and Mysteries of Life. In short, the album is one of the great unexpected surprises I’ve encountered this year.

I bought my copy of “Static Songs” from iTunes, but I see it’s also available on emusic. If you want a CD, check out the Cleveland record company Collectible Escalators, where Uva works.