Ghost of the Robot proves more than a part of its sum

It must be said that the singer of local band Ghost of the Robot is James Marsters, who plays peroxided vampire Spike on TV’s cult hit “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” But the quintet proved more than a vanity vehicle during its Knitting Factory debut Saturday.

“Buffy” has featured a wide array of musical acts, from L.A. indie-poppers Four Star Mary to singer-songwriter Aimee Mann. Last season the supernatural drama even had an all-singing, all-dancing musical episode, which allowed Marsters to strut his aspiring-rock-star stuff in a more controlled environment.

But GOTR, which was celebrating its self-released debut album, “Mad Brilliant,” wasn’t strictly about Marsters, 39. There were no songs lamenting the pain of celebrity. Even the goofy “David Letterman,” by guitarist and principal songwriter Charlie DeMars, was a lighthearted paean rather than a behind-the-scenes tale.

Marsters had about two decades on his bandmates, but he grinned like a teenager whenever the small, age-diverse crowd cheered. The young players skillfully blended garage, grunge, and Weezer-esque cerebral punk-pop with emotional notes.

The singing proved more mercurial. Marsters was refreshingly unpretentious but frankly out of his depth doing complex vocals. Yet his deep baritone worked well for the rawer tunes. And his solo-guitar rendition of his own sweetly old-fashioned ballad “Angel” had a heartfelt, Buddy Holly-esque simplicity.