Blake Lewis thinks he can dance

After coming in second place to Jordin Sparks on his season of “American Idol,” Blake Lewis sort of dropped off the face of the earth. His debut effort, “Audio Day Dream,” was released without fanfare and failed to pick up any mainstream love, despite being catchy as all get out and getting a few good reviews.

Out for a fresh start, Lewis has turned away from hip-hop-influenced pop and released more of a dance record. Here the synth and drum machine are ever-present companions to a voice which hasn’t matured or gained power since Lewis’ Idol run but seems to have finally found music that suits it. Namely, a style which doesn’t frown too hard upon voice modulation technologies.

Sometimes the album gets a little too ’80s for its own good (title track “Heartbreak on Vinyl”), but it’s all very engaging and listenable stuff, and there are two outstanding tracks (“Rapture of Love,” “Rebel Without a Cause”) that blow the listener away. A solid return effort from a lesser-known “Idol.”