Clint Carney, the man behind Los Angeles-based electronic project System Syn, has a sort of affable, everyman persona that makes him incredibly easy to like. One finds them self actively wishing success upon his multiple artistic endeavors: in addition to his System Syn and Fake projects, Clint is also a painter and keyboardist/backup vocalist for Imperative Reaction. Perhaps it’s because there’s the innate realization inside all of us that nice guys rarely experience the full value of kindness and karma they have coming to them (which incidentally might explain the glut of enraged industrial acts out there). Sure, the underdog occasionally accomplishes the unthinkable, but such victories are too often fleeting... mutants of societal Darwinism.

As such, it’s not surprising that Carney’s efforts, however well intentioned, are often good, but never great. "The Mourning Ritual," an entertaining mix of neo-synthpop, futurepop and (marginally) ebm dance music, is no exception. As with his previous efforts, his vocal delivery and inflections here continue to be Peter Heppner-esque (Wolfsheim), emotional story telling that is honest and self-exploratory. While Carney may share Heppner’s penchant for dramatic vulnerability, he unfortunately cannot equal either the well known German vocalist’s tone or his range.

Take, for example, the self-affirming "Everything to Everyone," a pretty mid-tempo piece from the album’s first act. The orchestration is superb, soft kicks trot beneath a touching piano melody and synthesized strings, while Carney croons sarcastic, a slight but detectable semblance of Tom Shear-styled (Assemblage 23) self-doubt resonating in his voice. All of the pieces are there, but when the final puzzle is completed, there’s just something missing. The same could be said of "I Am Here," a heavier dance number in more of an EBM vein; or "Stillborn," on which we find Carney in a Ronan Harris (VNV Nation) stance, both in terms of sonic quality and presentation.

The second act of "The Mourning Ritual" is almost completely down tempo, with the exception of "Exit," and this bunched arrangement of slower tracks only serves to underscore Carney’s sub-star-quality vocal shortcomings. Carney clearly possesses talent as a songwriter and vocalist, as this album exhibits, but he’s missing that indefinable "it" factor that allows certain singers to strike chords in the listener’s heart as well as his ear. Nonetheless, to buy this album is to cast a vote in support of the little guy, the one whose dedication and sincerity easily qualify him for your respect and your dollar, so it’s strongly recommended.