I bought this CD at one of their live shows, and, as such, my love for this album could be somewhat influenced by the great time I experienced there. I met Sam, talked very, very little to Janet, saw them play live (they are simply amazing), etc, etc. Quasi is one of my favorite bands, and the experience was one of the best ones in a long time for me.However, even reviewing the album on it's own terms, it's actually quite amazing. Although there are only eleven tracks on here (compared to, oh, the sixteen tracks from "Featuring 'Birds'"), it's just as long as almost any other Quasi album.
This album is addicting. It's all I've been listening to for a solid two days now, with my current favorites being "Hot Sh*t," "Good Time Rock & Roll," "Master & Dog," "Sunshine Sounds," and "No One."
"Sunshine Sounds" is my absolute favorite. It's seven minutes long, and full of really great guitar work. Most of it's instrumental. It starts right away, and goes through a series of different melodies and patterns. It finishes, as odd as it sounds, like a good novel would -- everything is resolved.
"White Devil's Dream," musically, is quite different. Really avant-garde. I like it. Lyrically? Well, at least they actually had the nerve to say what they thought. Not many songwriters these days do. However, in a couple years, it's going to be really outdated, which is a tad unfortunate.
I even think the cover art and the album title are fine; the first time I saw the cover, I actually laughed. It's just goofy, that's all.
Is it worth a purchase? Yeah, of course, especially if you're a Quasi fan. They're branching out into new territories, and, for the most part, I like what I hear.
as good as their best
Quasi reached their nadir..