Since releasing 1993's seminal Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, Swirlies have endured a stream of lineup changes, and this album brings together veterans of past incarnations for a total of 15 contributors. The sound is surprisingly cohesive, though lacking the flourishes that set the group's earlier releases apart. The first two songs best exemplify Swirlies' essence. "Give Us Moon Rocks!" is shaped by clangy, metallic guitars thrashing between speakers, as male/female vocal pairings drift like lullabies; "One Light Flashing I Love You" is crammed with robotic effects and marching-band drum rolls. Like the rest of the record, though, these curious sonic landscapes yearn for intriguing hooks. Similarly, "Le Bag" is thick with a surreal, tropical air created by languid piano and quavering surf guitars, but lacks an ear-catching vocal melody. But the well-crafted "Sleepytime" wakes with a barrage of drums and feedback, a cacophony the musicians render graceful by pairing it with high, lilting vocals and by fading the two prevailing tracks in and out; the result is a hard-driving and infectious tune with none of the aimlessness that plagues preceding songs.
The quirky collection is, on the whole, charming. But by offering just 37 minutes of music -- none of it terribly earthshaking -- Swirlies haven't yet worked hard enough to hold our attention.
