Cute-as-a-button Casey Stratton has a voice that any gay man who spent time in a club in 2005 has heard. Most just don’t realize it. He had two tracks from his Sony Records debut, Standing at the Edge, in heavy DJ rotation this year, “House of Jupiter,” which spent weeks on Billboard’s club hits and “Blood,” both mixed by Junior Vasquez. Being that his voice is as androgynous as his name, anyone might have easily mistaken him for the new club diva. But Casey’s forte isn’t super-infectious dance anthems. He is a classically trained singer-songwriter to rival the likes of Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell, or Savage Garden.

Released on Sony’s Odyssey label in early 2004, Standing at the Edge floated obscurely under the mainstream radar due to error after error on Sony’s part. It had all the elements needed to catapult Stratton beyond cult status. The record of 12 evocative and emotional ballads was produced by superstar producer, Patrick Leonard (Madonna, Jewel, Elton John), and was hailed by entertainment critics. Sadly, we live in a world of niche marketing and Stratton fits no niche. Abandoning his Sony contract and retreating New York for the serenity of his home state, Michigan, Casey set out to make the record he wanted to make.

With Standing at the Edge the influence of the kooky, cerebral chanteuse Tori Amos is recognizable almost immediately, even before reading the liner notes. (No one said drawing from Amos’ aural well was such a bad thing!) Stratton aptly recovers the torch Amos dropped to sing about driving a Saab, and he does it with far more accessible lyrics.

With his new disc, Divide, Stratton jumps off that edge he was standing on with his major label venture. Going “indie” means no producer to answer to and no A&R officer making sure the corporate big-wigs get a hit single. In self-production, Stratton is able to indulge in the vocal flourishes and keyboard cascading that were only hinted at on Standing on the Edge. Employing atmospheric beat sampling and slinky drum programming, Casey flows through 12 staunch tracks about love, relationships lost, and the emotional state of our world that make up his great Divide. Overall, the sound on Divide is much more harrowing and gothic than Standing at the Edge’s earthy foundation. Think less Amos and McLachlan and more Evanescence (minus the trendy NuMetal power chords).

Delving into Divide is a riveting and sometimes sedate descent, but a few tracks stand out stronger than the others. “In Silence” is the most pop-like, radio-friendly track that looks toward the bright side of starting over. A brooding and ominous piano shifts the mood of the disc upon the opening of “Opaline,” a track that runs headlong into the blame game and fights tooth and nail to win. Turning political on “When the End Arrives,” Stratton recalls a time when innocence was a virtue without being too preachy. “Coercion” borrows a lilting chord structure from the virtually unheard Kate Bush B-side, “Ne Ten Fuis Pa.” With a waterfall of background vocals, the sobering and solemn “You Move Away” is a perfect segue into the ode to Fallujah, “The Wasteland.” Stratton sings of the perils of an unnamed land devastated by the effects of war, backed by an Indian-fused rhythm. The uplifting “I Promise Love” rounds out the disc with an assurance of a world with no pain or disaster.

Artistry and song crafting as arresting as Stratton’s are rare traits among modern singer-songwriters. Still, starting your own label as Stratton has done with his Sleeping Pill Music means virtually no tour budget, TV appearances, distribution, or promotion that isn’t self-induced. So, what’s a budding singer-songwriter to do? Rely on a cultish following and grassroots word-of-mouth tactics. Thanks to the modern convenience of the Internet, there are two retail outlets where you can listen to clips and purchase Divide, cdbaby.com and the digital music store on caseystratton.com. Opt for the limited edition 2-disc set. You’ll thank yourself after you become obsessed that you spent the extra cash.