Fangs

One of the most inventive and uncategorizable bands on the U.K. indie scene, Dawn of the Replicants have simply never fit comfortably into any sort of scene. Like some sort of mix of They Might Be Giants (the unexpected detours into straight genre exercises like the jazz pastiche "Liqueur Lagoon," not to mention the oddball song topics and somewhat cartoony lead vocals) and Captain Beefheart (who, tellingly, is quoted at length in the sleeve notes), the band might be too unashamedly pop-oriented for fans of the latter, and too straightforward and less overtly funny to fully appeal to fans of the former. Bad luck to those folks, because Fangs is a thoroughly enjoyable bit of quirky pop with a handful of genuinely great songs (most notably first single "Essence of Maureen") and bits that recall everyone from nearly forgotten Irish Beefheart disciples Stump and the almighty Bonzo Dog Band to Tom Waits and the Soft Boys. The latter comparison is particularly apt on the groovily psychedelic "Pterodactyl," the album's best song.