Thomas Truax – Sonic Dreamer

New Yorker Thomas Truax is unlikely to ever find himself in even the dimmest-lit corner of the mainstream public consciousness, and if he did he’d inevitably (and quite unfairly) be misunderstood as the eccentric novelty act, ideally suited to the one-song circus that signals half-time on Later With Jools Holland.

This attitude may be understandable, given Truax’s inclinations to build musical instruments out of household appliances and his apparent aversion to singing “in tune”, but the inclusion of live drums and guitars on this fifth album means that Sonic Dreamer’s more experimental inclinations are often mere flourishes on what are principally accessible, beat-led creations.

The most deranged moments remain the best, though; opener Beehive Heart clicks and shudders as Truax laments his shoes’ vulnerability to coming untied despite no movement on his part. Balancing on a Bouncing Wire meanwhile involves perhaps the most wistful, expressive use of cutlery since Artis the Spoonman. [Mark Holland]