Though he's best known as songwriter and singer with eminently lovable pop auteurs the Push Stars, I first came to know of Chris Trapper's talent as a student of English and music at Fredonia State College in the late '80s.

Back then, Trapper was fronting a band called Awake and Dreaming, and the group had captured my imagination. Trapper and his mates dressed head to toe in black - black suit coats, black turtlenecks, black pants, black boots, black moods - and cranked out a sort of post-modern singer-songwriter fare. Clearly, the band had been affected by Echo & the Bunnymen, U2, the Smiths and Joy Division; it was apparent in the clean guitar tones, morose demeanor, untouchable mystique and near-goth air. The guys looked cool, which can't be underestimated when it comes to rock music.

More importantly, Trapper's songs were moving. He didn't act like a rock star, but his songs were writ large. One, in particular, I can still sing, though I own no recording of it and haven't heard it in nearly 20 years. It was called "The Way I Feel," I believe, and was the song Awake and Dreaming started most of its shows with. I remember the post-New Wave bass line, the Bunnymen-like guitars, the frantic drumbeat. But mostly, I remember Trapper's lyrics and the way he delivered them. I recall thinking, "This guy has it" - "it" being that blend of talent and "otherness" that can take a simple rock song out of the area of the pedestrian and into the ether of the sublime.

Trapper has flirted with mainstream success ever since those days. With the Push Stars, throughout the '90s, he almost had it, and only cruel fate seems to have prevented him from grasping the brass ring. Trapper and the band placed songs in movies and on major television shows, toured relentlessly, built up a loyal fan base, made great records.

Still, even though you've probably heard at least one Push Stars song, you might not know a thing about the band.

Trapper, who relocated from the Buffalo area to Boston years ago, released a brilliant solo album last year, a collaborative effort with Boston's acclaimed Wolverine Jazz Band. Here, Trapper most convincingly delved into Dixieland. Seriously. Check out the record, "Gone Again," at www.christrapper.com, if you doubt me.

Now, Trapper has released a new album, "Hey, You," which features guest appearances from some of his former collaborators in the Push Stars and Great Big Sea, as well as pals like Martin Sexton and Matchbox Twenty's Matt Beck. It, too, is a finely crafted affair.

Chris Trapper comes home for the holidays, to open for the Great Train Robbery inside the Town Ballroom, 681 Main St., at 8 p.m. next Friday. Tickets for this all-ages show are $10. Check www.townballroom.com or call 852-3900 for details.