Make Me Believe In Hope, the debut album from Bright Light Bright Light, was released in the UK at the start of June. Easily one of the best pop albums of 2012, and perhaps of any category — it’s that well-crafted and rewarding a listen — the set is finally available in the U.S. today.

To celebrate the arrival of Make Me Believe In Hope on our fair shores, I caught up with the man behind Bright Light Bright Light, London-based, Welsh-born singer-songwriter Rod Thomas. He gamely played along with a series of questions tied to the album’s 11 tracks, some directly related, others only tangentially (at best). The self-described “cautious romantic” talks about being the object of Elton John’s affection, why Björk has him reaching for the tissues, and the core reason he and Adele aren’t much alike.

01 “IMMATURE”
POPSERVATIONS: Nearly two years have passed between your debut single as Bright Light Bright Light, “Love Part II,” and your album, Make Me Believe In Hope. Did you anticipate that length of time from start to finish?

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT: “No, but then it’s always anyone’s guess how long it takes to properly finish a record and get everything into place to have it released. In retrospect, I think it was a healthy length of time as I was able to let the songs breathe and tweak bits that I liked or thought needed work as I played the tracks live and added different elements.”

Now that it’s all out there, are you able to take a step back and see how you’ve grown as an artist and performer in the interim?

“I guess so. I feel much more comfortable and much more in control now, so I think the time working everything out meant that I know the songs inside out, and have a much clearer idea of what I want to be and achieve.”

02 “FEEL IT”
Your love for ’90s dance is well documented, perhaps most obviously via your various mixtapes, mashups, and of course, the club night you run in London, Another Night. I’ve also a weakness for that era, especially a big wailing diva vocal, so obviously “Feel It” is my favorite track on the album — those “Frozen”-esque drums, too! Have to say I was surprised to discover that the vocalist is a male, Broadway talent Mykal Kilgore.

Speaking of wailing divas, this year at Bristol Pride, you’re the warm-up act for Martha Wash. So let’s play a bit of Sophie’s Choice, Black Box-style: “Everybody Everybody” or “I Don’t Know Anybody Else”?

“I Don’t Know Anybody Else,” every time!

You’ve chosen wisely, Rod. It is the superior track.

“I know if she plays that at Pride, I’ll literally ride on time.”

03 “LOVE PART II”
Staying on the subject of famous music folks, Elton John recently tipped you as one of ‘the hottest things on the music scene at the moment.’ What’s love from a legend feel like?

“It’s just incredible. Like, when you grow up listening to someone like Elton John, you never, ever expect to have any real contact with them, let alone hear that they like your record. It’s a very bizarre, and very humbling experience.”

04 “WAITING FOR THE FEELING”
“Waiting For The Feeling” is another track that nods to those ’90s club sounds — the piano line, in particular. I was a few years shy of being able dance to CeCe Peniston, Robin S., and Corona in clubs, so I had to make do at home. As I think I’ve got a good decade on you, Rod, how was it that you became so attached to those specific sounds, being even younger? What was your exposure to those acts and others like back then? Was club music more mainstream in Wales where you grew up?

“I used to listen to the radio a lot in car journeys, and in my bedroom as a child. I was an only child growing up next to a coal mine between two villages, so I spent a lot of time on my own listening to music. I found [former UK radio station] Atlantic 252, and it played loads of chart and dance music, and I fell in love with the beats, rhythms, and divas of the ’90s dance-pop crossover tracks. I bought Now Dance 92 on tape and nearly wore it out. I loved the energy and the playfulness of the songs.

But part of the reason David Oh and I started ‘Another Night’ is just because we were too young to go clubbing to the songs back in the day. Finally, we can hear the songs through a real PA with people dancing like we always wanted!”

05 “CRY AT FILMS”
What’s the last film you watched that brought on the waterworks, or the film that never fails to leave you a blubbering mess? For me, Up immediately jumps to mind.

“Beginners. Gut-wrenching crying is Dancer In The Dark. And tears of joy at Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion.”

As much of a Björk fan as I’ve been, I’ve yet to see Dancer In The Dark. I’ve read enough about the film to realize I need to be in the right state of mind to watch it, but now knowing your reaction, I doubt that’s ever gonna happen! By the way, that unofficial video of “Cry At Films” on YouTube, created by some enterprising soul who set your song to scenes of actors crying in films, is priceless.

“That crying montage is BRILLIANT. I wish I knew who made it!”

06 “MOVES”
Tell me about “Moves,” which strikes me as the most Pet Shop Boys moment on your album, in tone and overall construction — the instrumental bridge, the post-bridge breakdown. It’s a lovely work of pop tunesmithery. Feel free to say I’m completely off the mark, but I’m assuming you’re a fan of Neil and Chris.

“Yes I am. Behaviour is one of my favorite albums of all time. I met Jon Shave [ex-Xenomania, now part of production team The Invisible Men] about a year before we worked together on ‘Moves.’ We wrote ‘Being Sentimental’ [a bonus track on the “Disco Moment” remix EP] together in a day as our first session, and found we had all the same favorite reference points and childhood music loves, so we had a brilliant time working together. We started ‘Moves’ as a dance track, but in the first hour, we saw we could do something more tender with it, and it was the most fun I’ve had making a track, I think. Jon was so amazing to work with for this record. I feel very lucky we met when we did!”

Returning to Pet Shop Boys for a moment, I must ask: Do you have a favorite song?

“Either ‘Being Boring,’ ‘To Face The Truth,’ or ‘What Have I Done To Deserve This?’.”

07 “DISCO MOMENT”
You recently tweeted that you channeled Molly Ringwald when crafting the ‘John Hughes finale vibe’ of “Disco Moment.” Since I consider your song to be the twin brother to Robyn’s equally brilliant “Dancing On My Own,” what are the chances that she was channeling Duckie? 

“Haha, DEFINITELY!”

Is there a song that never fails to give you that ‘disco moment’ when you hear it, whether in a club or listening to the radio?

“Strike’s ‘U Sure Do.’ Euphoria.”

08 “A NEW WORD TO SAY”
We all have words or phrases we fall back on much too often, maybe without realizing. Is there a familiar Rod-ism you care to share? Maybe I’ll give you a substitute — a new word to say.

“I say the word ‘amazing’ far, far too much. Your suggestion?”

I’d offer “fantastic” as a substitute, but swapping your word crutch for mine probably isn’t any better!

09 “HOW TO MAKE A HEART”
The thematic thread through Make Me Believe In Hope is one of love — its first blush, those unsure middles, the final parting — though not in that particular order. Do you find putting your heart on display in these songs to be an easy process or one that involves a fair amount of editing to avoid Adele-like pitfalls of former suitors assuming you’re singing about them?

“Not all the songs are about me and my feelings. I’m more of a storyteller. So ‘Moves’ and ‘Grace’, for example, are about things that have happened to friends of mine that I sang about. I’m not interested really in showing the world my woes — I actually really enjoy my life! — so I try to say something interesting, rather than pour out pain.”

Do you consider yourself a hopeless romantic, a cautious realist, or somewhere in between?

“A cautious romantic.”

10 “DEBRIS”
In this time in music where many albums seem to be besides the point, congrats on delivering such a cohesive set, not only thematically but with a digestible running time. Were such considerations conscious ones as you were picking and choosing which tracks would comprise Make Me Believe In Hope? I assume there were some songs that didn’t make the cut. Future plans for those?

“Thank you! Yes, it was a very careful editing process. There were a lot more songs that sonically or thematically fit perfectly, but I didn’t want a 14-track album. It’s too much. I wanted a proper A and B side, and I wanted it to feel just right, so it’s hard to let go of some songs! They’ll see the light of day somewhere down the line though.”

11 “GRACE”
Make Me Believe In Hope ends on the perfect note with “Grace.” I can’t think of another song in a similar vein, sort of a personal pep-talk, a supportive half talking to the weary other. I did half-expect a choir to come in during the final chorus though, something you might want to consider for your eventual live performance on The X Factor. Without picking your own, what’s your favorite closing song on an album?

“‘Montrose Gimps It Up For Charity,’ a secret track on Kenickie’s At The Club album. It’s the funniest, FUNNIEST thing I have ever heard in my entire life. She [band member Emmy Kate-Montrose] improvised it too. Complete genius.”

BONUS TRACK
Seriously, what’s the story with the fella who completely stripped down at your album launch party in London?

“I guess the rhythm just got to him.”

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Bright Light Bright Light – Make Me Believe In Hope is out now via iTunes. You can also stream the 11-track set via Spinner for a limited time.