Is the album an homage to bands long gone by or can Antone Newcombe possibly believe that what he and his band The Brian Jonestown Massacre are offering us is something we haven’t already heard before? The noisy blare of The Jesus and Marychain, the drone vocal works of Ian Curtis (Joy Division), or the fuck all attitude of The Happy Monday’s as songs become anthems to the disenfranchised youths of today’s music. Every song seemingly going off on its own dragging the last at its core in some slight way the album surprises and disappoints depending on how far you’ve ventured into the alternative Indie Rock landscape of the past 30-40 years.

I was at a loss for words with this seemingly organic techno like barrage of sounds purposelessly transmitting through my computer speakers (Klipsch) so I surfed the web to see what other writers had to say. Some good, some bad, but all seem to reach the same conclusion. What!!!? Jam sessions gone mad? Maybe. But plucking meaning from this album is not an easy task. Your going to have to listen to it and love and come to your own conclusions or your going to have to listen to it and realize you hate it and avoid wasting your time.

Quality wise the album is a bit of the old with a bit of the new coming off like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion or Capgun Coup with a little Beck tossed in for measure. Its not all entirely dismissible but take note the album is acquired taste. Being exposed to Alternative Indie Rock from now going back to its roots will be beneficial. Not much by way of the lyrical though so if your looking for Substance you’d probably be better off looking elsewhere unless your taste in music is poetic and you can attain something from seemingly nothing. In any case its going to be a mixed bag as far as lovers and haters. Enjoy. 

*Original founders Will Cruthers and Matt Hollywood also return to the line-up on this album.