Sometimes band members parting ways does everyone a lot of good. Such is the case with the tale of Chris Vrenna, former flunky to angst-rock peddler extraordinaire Trent Reznor and his band Nine Inch Nails. Forging his own path under the artist name of Tweaker since 2001’s excellent The Attraction to All Things Uncertain, Vrenna’s gone a long way in showing that his talent is worth notice – if not through his numerous production credits and videogame soundtracks – then with this latest eclectic release of techno-pop bliss.

Perhaps handing all the credit to Vrenna is going a bit too far. Besides three fair to middling instrumentals performed by the ex-Nail himself, the other nine tracks on 2 A.M. Wakeup Call each employ the help of a guest artist, including such stars as the Cure’s Robert Smith and the Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser. It’s great to see each vocalist work with something so different from his or her usual fare – Leithauser, for example, sounds simply joyous as he belts out the chorus to the rousing “It’s Still Happening,” all the while propelled along by blasts of electronica.

With song styles ranging from plaintive reflections to Stabbing Westward-esque romps, the biggest challenge with this record was likely keeping it cohesive. This is done well enough with each track’s synthesized backbone. While perhaps a bit daunting to listen to at first, in the end 2 A.M. Wakeup Call proves to be truly rewarding in its sheer scope. The album provides something for everyone, whether it be delivered through Will Oldham’s pitiful croon, Jennifer Charles’s (of Elysian Fields, though I naively mistook her for Chan Marshall at first) haunting call, or David Sylvian’s smoky lounge bravado.

Chris Vrenna’s next test will be keeping this act going – his debut album also relied heavily on guest vocals, and instrumentals were once again low points. Sadly, Tweaker can never tour, though the project’s stunning success does evoke some rather pleasing thoughts of potential supergroups.