Thomas Truax – Jetstream Sunset

The Dr Seuss of pop returns. With The Hornicator (the home-made assemblage of various instruments and components that drives his off-beat – in both senses of the word – backing) powered up and ready to go, Truax sets off on his latest adventure. As ever, amidst the tomfoolery, there are gems; songs that emerge bright and shining from beneath the crazed plink-plonk. That said, the inclusion of a lyric sheet feels like a mis-step, where humdrum narratives conspire to erase much of the magic.

The lovely Feelin' Bad For Dracula dispenses most of its mordant wit in its title. Like much of his eight album repertoire to date, Jetstream Sunset is a work designed to bamboozle and discombobulate. Only those with a heart of flint could dislike it; only the truly unhinged could find a way to the centre of its harebrained heart. The hardcore will no doubt be (properly) mad for it.