If high energy and upbeat music are what you are searching for, then keep reading. Edmonton's Michael Rault is a 21-year-old vocalist who shines as a multitasker, with one hand holding his guitar, and another holding a pen to his own songs. Everything this man touches turns gold, and as a Robin Schroffel from the Edmonton Sun said, "(Rault's) ominous guitar twangs should rightfully be coming from someone twice his age!"

Rault is undoubtedly a showstopper. He somehow captures the rock 'n' roll music of days gone by, and injects ingenuity, spunk and a lot of heart into his singing and playing. Beginning a music career by playing in local punk bands (such as The Nightshades and The Morellos), Rault carved his niche when he was 16 by venturing out on his own with a selftitled EP in 2005, Michael Rault and the Mixed Signals. It was coproduced by his locally wellknown father, Lionel.

Rault has continued to perform alongside great talent such as Kinnie Starr (when they both opened for Jay Malinowski, who is the lead singer and guitarist for Bedouin Soundclash). But apart from playing sidekick for headliners, Rault is his own man.

Ma-Me-O is Rault's fourth album and fifth EP, shares its name with an Alberta beach. It contains elements of rockabilly, garage rock, and old R&B blues. These styles are fitting, as Rault has stated he enjoys all three genres and the music styles of Don and Dewey. Short and sweet with less than 27 minutes of songs, it delivers a fresh and friendly jolt of electricity to brighten any room.

He has an uncomplicated style in his song writing and music, and contended that he "follows the basic ideas of what songwriting is supposed to do — melodies that fit into chord changes, chord changes that are dictated by melodies…" Rault even brings in his younger sister for one song, Everybody Knows — a melodic, sweet-sounding ballad with a retro-spin from the early 1950s. Call Me On The Phone is similar sounding ballad that sings with a sock-hop feel.

If you like the lo-fi indie sound of bands such as Modern Boys Modern Girls or Women, then give this album a spin. The short and fast songs satisfy a listener's fleeting focus (as even Rault admitted). "I think a lot people have (short attention spans) nowadays, including me. Unless you have six verses that are amazing and you need to do 10 minutes because you're like, 'This is just so good, I can't cut anything else out,' that makes sense. I love songs that are like that, but for me, I usually come up with a few lines that are concise and play it for as long as it feels natural," he said.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/michaelrault

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars