Sizu Yantra "Bienvenido al Sueño"

(Rubén Albarrán and Renato Lopez, from the Se Habla Rock set, mun2 on Flickr)

Café Tacvba's front man, chameleon Rubén Albarrán, drops his first solo album this coming Tuesday. Using the name Sizu Yantra, "Bienvenido al sueño" (Welcome to the dream) is almost an instrumental album, chock full of playful electronic pop songs for the "little kid" in all of us.

It's far removed from the Cafe Tacvba which recently released a gritty rock album, their first featuring a live drummer and direct ties to The Flaming Lips, Ween and Mercury Rev. Instead of digging up rock gems, "Bienvenido" feels like something that fell out of a liquid sky, with a sleek website, accompanying DVD and "must-see-to-believe" live concert experience.

The whole package is said to be a birthday present for Albarran's firstborn but it's wrapped up in a Nickelodeon meets Hare Krishna vibe that can be hard to take seriously. Cafe Tacvba fans will also be tested when they discover Albarrán's voice only appears twice. Instead, his wife, Psikini, sings on most of the album – a collection that includes quirky pop (the title track), declawed psycho trance ("Cada tres horas") and the 20 minute-long "Bardo."

Those looking for a quick fix of Tacvba are going to need patience – think baby from the beyond, or, for that matter, the last Joselo record.