Music for the Other Head

Squirrelly, off-kilter, and more than slightly disturbing psychedelia doesn't come much more off than this. If Syd Barrett actually did crack via his acoustic ditties, Brother JT gives the sense of cracking with a full band behind him on Other Head. Certainly JT's opening snippets of conversation on "Comet" mentioning insanity and asking after Vibrolux member Difuria actually sound fairly calm, but as his voice starts snorting and snarling once the singing begins, Kansas (or, more appropriately, Pennsylvania) has been left behind. States of mind aside, though, "Comet" is a great monster of a track, a 20-minute-long workout with some truly grand guitar madness, of the squalling open-ended variety as opposed to clean fret wankery. The main line, "The comet will come," is repeated throughout like a mantra while more yelps, squeals, and semi-random rants add to it all. The rhythm is simple but does the business, a dance on the edge of normality. "Music For" is about half that in length but no less gone. JT softly mutters then sings the title phrase (subtitle — The one inside the one, as illustrated by the wonderfully grotesque album cover) as everyone softly tunes up and plays, much like "Comet" in general approach. The soloing is a bit calmer all around, but the overdubbed vocal squelching and noise continues on. The final two songs are more on the straightforward side, though hardly without their own slices of oddity. "Blur (Twas)" initially fires up with a little bit of wah-wah and singing, then stops entirely and turns into a full-on acid punk rocker, with some deliciously gurgled and sneered singing. Everything wraps up with "Mind (I Don't... If You... Or Rot)," a heavy slice of funk as revamped through JT and company's distinct sensibilities.