Past meets future as hipster heartthrob Borns captivates a packed Granada

Borns, aka Garrett Borns, offers a mix of sex, love and rock 'n' roll with subtle-yet-hypnotizing onstage swagger and solid-gold vocals. The Michigan-rooted singer played a sold-out show at the Granada Theater on Monday night to a crowd that was just as energetic as his explosive choruses and addicting hooks.

With long, curly locks similar to those of the late Jim Morrison, and a denim ensemble straight from the '80s, the indie artist successfully bucks the trends of today's baggy clothes and clean-cut 'dos.

Three years after Borns released a wildly successful EP titled Candy, thanks in part to an Instagram cosign from Taylor Swift, Borns has managed to top his previous work with the debut full-length record, Dopamine.

Effervescent melodies and sugary-sweet lines about falling hard for the girl of his dreams have made the singer an instant heartthrob -- the female-heavy audience on Monday fawned over him, screaming and cheering every chance they got.

His soft, pillowy vocals faded in and out during "Dug My Heart," blending with fuzzy guitar hooks and pulsing retro beats -- a stark contrast from his usual whisper-to-a-scream tracks.

Even though his heavy hitters such as "10,000 Emerald Pools" and "Seeing Stars" were made for the stage with abundant commercial appeal, the quieter and lesser-known songs stole the show. Stripped down musically, they revealed his songwriting skill more effectively. "Clouds," built with dreamy, wavy riffs and somber vocals, played like a hipster love note.

Borns' cool demeanor and heartthrob swagger were but a bonus — his ironclad vocals were the meat, making his performance more about how many notes he can scale than how little clothing he was wearing.

Instead of saving his hits for the encore, the 24-year-old went for the final kill with two inspired covers.

Starting with the Arcade Fire's "Rebellion (Lies)," complete with its own snowballing chorus and tiptoeing notes, he stayed close to the original version, delivering the necessary power to do it justice. Then came his staggering performance of David Bowie's "Heroes."

Several months after the legend's death, artists have continued to perform tributes to the legendary and groundbreaking rock star, adding their own flavor to a variety of his singles.

But Borns didn't reinvent the 1977 tune. He delivered the same ultimately soaring treatment, inspiring as much optimism as the original idol did years ago.