Green Naugahyde, by Primus

After a ten-year hiatus, a rejuvenated Primus returns to deliver a fresh batch of ominous melodies.

Squirrels, the Octomom, salmon, heroin addiction, and a Spaghetti Western villain all make guest appearances. New drummer Jay Lane brings a different chemistry to the band, making their performance cohesive and tight, while still allowing for moderately experimental jams in between, as shown in the interaction between bass, drums, and guitar on "Last Salmon Man."

The idiosyncratic funky bass solo on "Hennepin Crawler," and the menacing electric double bass on "Jilly's on Smack" both prove that Les Claypool still is one of the most original and inventive bass players this side of Jaco Pastorius.

An uncredited instrument is Claypool’s vocals, which do not bear the mark of age and serve as an extension to the quirky overall feel of the album. Clocking in under a minute, the closing Ferris wheel track "Salmon Men" gently lands the listener back to the ground, leaving the listener like a child who wants to get back on the ride.

• Album: Green Naugahyde
• Artist: Primus
• Label: ATO Records, Prawn Songs
• Songs: (1) Prelude to a Crawl (2) Hennepin Crawler (3) Last Salmon Man (Fisherman's Chronicles, Part IV) (4) Eternal Consumption Engine (5) Tragedy's a' Comin (6) Eyes of the Squirrel (7) Jilly's on Smack (8) Lee Van Cleef (9) Moron TV (10) Green Ranger (11) HOINFODAMAN (12) Extinction Burst (13) Salmon Men