Allison Mixes the Ethereal and Vibrant

Scottish singer-songwriter Dot Allison gained a following in the early ‘90s as lead vocalist of the Glasgow trio One Dove, whose mix of modern and classic pop elements made it a U.K. dance-club favorite. That sensibility shows on her recent solo debut album, “Afterglow,” which features an appearance by My Bloody Valentine guitarist Kevin Shields and her collaborations with ‘60s songwriter Hal David and Death in Vegas frontman Richard Fearless.

Although a variety of techno styles informed the vibrant, drifting soundscapes that Allison and her band crafted at Vynyl on Tuesday, the music ultimately reflected her broad appreciation for many forms of pop.

The album’s ethereal sprawl and her airy soprano recall the heart-in-the-clouds trip-hop of Portishead, but Allison’s nearly hourlong performance had an earthier quality, thanks to the backing quartet’s use of traditional rock instruments along with canned tracks. Bits of country twang and heavy psychedelia floated through as the willowy blond singer crooned whispery, yearning sentiments.

The effect was like a modern Velvet Underground, though not as dissonantly abandoned nor emotionally twisted. Though the songs conjured loneliness, desperation and other romantic frailties, Allison didn’t so much inhabit those emotions as provide a demure blankness on which listeners could project their own feelings.