You just can't beet this guy.

When The Daredevil Christopher Wright all but called it quits after their sophomore full-length, it put a hole in the hearts of us quirky indie-pop lovers looking for a little weird next to our acoustic guitars. Frontman Jon Sunde has now stepped in to fill that void with his debut solo album under the sorta-moniker J.E. Sunde. Shapes That Kiss The Lips Of God will be released on vinyl and CD July 15 by Iowa label Cartouche Records.

Shapes is a collection of songs that may sound somewhat familiar – many were played by Jon during Daredevil shows for years – but contain a certain quirkiness that sets them apart. Take the almost doo-wop ballad “Rabbit Trails,” built on a simple chord structure with an instant-classic melody. Amongst the meandering acoustic guitar, however, Sunde plays with atonal, almost carnival-inspired electric guitar or keyboard, which wind their way through the tunes and give off a creepier vibe than you’d expect.

In the same sense that Daredevil was very much a band, Sunde is very much a solo artist, recording most of the instruments himself, with the only exception being   percussion from former Eau Clairian Shane Leonard. Sunde’s pure musicianship comes out   with gorgeous instrumentation that sidles alongside the simple but profound songwriting.

Shapes That Kiss The Lips Of God will be available at The Local Store, 205 N. Dewey St., and at Revival Records, 128 S. Barstow St. You can see Jon Sunde play songs from and talk about the album at The Local Store on July 14 at 7pm.