Colin L. Orchestra Out of This World with Double CD "Infinite Ease-Good God"

Sometimes you hear things that are so peculiar, so off their rocker in an unusual way, you have to redefine what your expectations should be. Colin L. and his Colin L. Orchestra, most specifically on his new double CD Infinite Ease/Good God (Northern Spy) most definitely did that to me.

What about the lyrics? You go along with the expectation of some message or other, then you get something like "Covered in crud is a friend of mine." They are hyper-real, surreal, dada-like and such-like all at the same time.

And this goes with a kind of densely conceived and/or bare bones psychedelic country rock sensibility. It's funny, serious, irreverent and meta-music in the best sense. His vocals can soar or just goof around; instrumentally something is always happening. It's as if The Notorious Byrd Brothers spent all this time in hell and came back to make a chart-worthy album, only since they've been in hell they bring a hell of a lot of weirdness back with them. Well maybe that description doesn't quite work but it's as close as I can get to what I get hearing this one.

It's awful great. It's greatly awful. Get it and you'll get it. I hope.