Pop music with dark, dour lyrics makes for an odd congruity. The ironic blend of the two forms often makes some potent musical concoctions, allowing the listener to marvel at the gentle symmetry of the sonic brew.

Umbrellas are quickly becoming recognized as master gardeners of this lovely hybrid. Illuminare is a sophomore release from the group, the first receiving marginal notices from critics, accused of sounding too much like Chris Martin. Sure, at times vocalist/songwriter Scott Windsor and his band sound a little like Coldplay here and the Smiths there. But Windsor has tended this genre with great care, and his effort adds dimensions that his progenitors cannot lay claim to.

Windsor, keyboardist, guitarist, producer Chad Copelin, drummer Nathan Price, bassist Eric Arndt, guest drummer James McAlister, and pianist Ryan Lindsey create extraordinarily lush, powerful waves of melody which wash over you with the delicate calm of an ebb tide. Standout performances can be found on “Tests On My Heart,” “Angel or Demon,” “Crooked” and “Thinking of You.” Windsor’s vocals are substantial and at times subdued, sounding a little like a younger, slightly higher-pitched Thom Yorke from Radiohead. Windsor laces his moody, oblique words into the fabric of the backing instrumentation with the graceful touch one uses to plant the fragile seeds of an African violet.

It doesn’t all work. There are times when the songs just become a tad pretentious, taking on something of a latter-day Depeche Mode feel, but for the most part Windsor and the band have surpassed the monolithic influence of Joy Division and other ensembles that inspired this form, re-branding it to make it their own. This is an extremely rare feat in a format that’s been wearing out its welcome for quite sometime.

The only place where the album fell short for me was in the recording. According to the press release, Illuminare was recorded in a converted comedy club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Perhaps the band achieved the quality they were looking for here, but there are too many times when the reverb threatens to overwhelm the natural beauty of the music. This may be due to a lack of sound absorption in a very live room. However the problem was created, the fragile essence of Winsor’s songs are disturbed at times by this gaff.

Even with its flaws, the supple textures of Illuminare are superior to any overproduced album laden with effects to give it perfect balance. It’s enough that Windsor and his group are capable of crafting an album as fine as this given the considerable risks they took with the endeavor. Umbrellas have transformed an arid musical vista into a very fertile landscape.