Claypool + Lennon = Delirium

The quirky darkness off Les Claypool (Primus) blended with the experimental flair of Sean Lennon creates the mind-altering experience of the Claypool Lennon Delirium — it sounds as if the Beatles and Pink Floyd had a juvenile delinquent Primus-child.

Bass licks bend like rubber and stick like glue on "Cricket and the Genie (Movement I, The Delirium)" paralleling a Sabbath gallop transitioning into the acid trip of Sgt. Peppers with "Cricket and the Genie (Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket)." Haunting organs and skipping crunch of guitars drown you in psychedelia. The voyeur, “Mr. Wright” likes to set up cameras and watch you sleep. The tinkering organs prance around swirls of reverb and grumbling break-neck bass; it creates an uncomfortably alluring experience that has you sleeping with the lights on. This becomes a common theme, and the personality of the 11 songs will have you saying “That’s so ’70s.” The Lennon vocals, the spacey landscapes that Pink Floyd and the Beatles created, even the album cover screams ’70s psychedelia. Regardless, Monolith of Phobos contains more grit, progressive instrumentals, and shock value than its predecessors.

Monolith of Phobos is less abstract than a Primus album, but most of its songs could fit right onto Frizzle Fry. Claypool’s signature bass slap and cartoonish vocals just can’t keep your mind off of Primus, but Lennon’s retro keyboard execution and drum work help defer you from thoughts that Primus sucks, making a debut album that is not just digestible but tasty too.

• Record: Monolith of Phobos
• Artist: The Claypool Lennon Delirium
• Label: ATO Records
• Songs: (1) "The Monolith of Phobos" (2) "Cricket and the Genie (Movement I, The Delirium)" (3) "Cricket and the Genie (Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket)" (4) "Mr. Wright" (5) "Boomerang Baby" (6) "Breath of a Salesman" (7) "Captain Lariat" (8) "Ohmerica" (9) "Oxycontin Girl" (10) "Bubbles Burst" (11) "There's No Underwear in Space"