DALE CROVER – rat-a-tat-tat!

*** Limitiertes purple Vinyl. Neues Solo-Album des multi-talentierten Melvins-Drummers, aufgenommen mit Band, zu der hier u.a. Redd Kross-Bassist Steve McDonald gehört, Kasai (ex-Big Business, Plan D) ist an Keyboards, Synths und Backing Vocals zu hören. Mindee Jorgensen (Dangerously Sleazy) trägt zusätzliches Drumming bei. Some pieces of the songs may sound familiar to the 127 completists who grabbed the limited-run lathe cut record Piso Mojado, a collection of experimental drum weirdness. Although insanity certainly abounds on Rat-a-Tat-Tat!, there are also some surprisingly poppy moments. Crover claims 'Shark Like Overbite' may be the poppiest song he's ever written. It's also the puppiest: it was inspired by the three dogs he's had over the years. A few tunes ('I Can't Help You There,' 'Kiss Proof World') harken back to his Pacific Northwest lineage. That said, 'Tougher,' 'Supine is How I Found Him,' and 'New Pharaoh' careen right off the dial. It's an eclectic mix, one that draws on song fragments he's had for years. It still feels cohesive and uniquely Dale Crover. But then, who would expect anything other than the unexpected? The opportunity knocks to hear more Dale Crover jams; be sure to answer. - Jeff Treppel*Joyful Noise