Textured, complex and at times darkly obscure, Stereotype Be is precisely the album one would expect of Kevin Max, long regarded as the free spirit of dc talk. On his own in the second of three solo albums to be released by the group’s members he indulges the artistic tendencies only hinted at by his spoken-word poems on the last two dc talk releases. And what an eclectic trip it is, expanding Max’s vision to include Brit-pop and quasi-progressive rock in a way that demands repeated listenings to unearth all its jewels.

From the start, when the Middle Eastern-style intro of "Return of the Singer" gives way to rolling drums and Max’s silky vibrato, the album makes clear its intent to be regarded as fine art. For every hummable, soaring chorus, especially the anthemic "Angel With No Wings" and the soulful "Dead End Moon," there’s a quirky little confection that veers around a left curve. One example is "Alycen and the Secret Circle." In the space of four minutes it manages to invoke both the symphonic experimentation of Sgt. Pepper’s-era Beatles and the foreboding melancholy of The Smashing Pumpkins. In all this drama, Max has plenty to say. He takes on relationships, fashion icons, temptation and, in "I Don’t Belong," his place in the music business. (Those with the ingenuity to find and decode a hidden message will learn whose "deranged world" he wants a break from.) Overall, lyrics and music serve each other particularly well, with the words’ poetic leanings matched by a rich sonic backdrop that ranges from reverb-drenched slide guitar to a warbling theremin.

Credit not only Max and producer/guitarist Adrian Belew, but also the session vets they’ve rounded up, particularly progressive rock bassist Tony Levin and drummer Matt Chamberlin. Though Max’s vocal style can be an acquired taste at times he lets his voice quiver like a mountain of Jell-O in an earthquake the bass and drum grooves keep the proceedings solid as bedrock.

Some downsides: In places, Max and Belew let their Beatles fixation float too near the surface, as in the horns on "Shaping Space." Elsewhere, the arrangements too closely mimic territory already mined by British rock sophisticates, such as the very Peter Gabriel-esque piano intro to "Existence." But that’s largely forgivable. Stereotype Be ultimately stands on its own, ample proof that Max can as well.