Shplang is an alternapop band with a variety of musical influences from alternative, folk, soul and psyche-pop, but they really have a talent for catchy melody, as evidenced by the sparkling jangle of the most accessible song on the disc, “Spanish Galleon.” It begins it’s strange turn with the Zappa flavored “Pound Cake,” but it keeps your ear interested through all four minutes. It then takes a country western trip with “Right On Time” full of strange characters in the lyric and that sweet Rickenbacker. “The Word is Love” is curious mix of Tin Pan Alley and narrative soul. In fact, the weird stories are all over this disc and forces the listener to pay attention, just to see what comes next. “No One Knows” recalls Sopwith Camel’s “Hello Hello” with trombone accents and vaudeville beats about a transgender fetishist. There are also several instrumental tracks, here notably “Tokyo Go-Go” which even has Godzilla-type dialog in the background. More straight forward tracks here are “Keep It Down” and “When Jesus Looked In The Eyes Of God.” With so many cooked up pop formulas, at least one track here will end up a favorite. If your tastes run eclectic, then this is the album for you — it is totally unpredictable.
CDBaby| Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame| Jam Recordings