Eat My Heart Out

In a perfect universe, Kevin Blechdom and Mike Patton would be high-school prom queen and king. So many parallels run through both artists' work, yet they are strikingly different in so many other ways that both have managed to stand out in their respective fields. But the common thread between the two is the degree of absurdity, chance, and madness from which both constantly dangle with absolute fearlessness on every single release. Taking the pretentiousness from IDM and laptop music and strangling it to death with absurdity is something that Kevin Blechdom doesn't succeed at; she excels at it with near perfection. Not much has seemed to change since 2003's outstanding Bitches Without Britches, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The hysterics and humor on the surface of things have never been more evident: "What You Wanna Believe" is a children's theme park hijacked thanks to a MIDI controller and max/msp programming. It's a bit like the archetypal demented relative, the one with the devilish grin who you're not sure is either sincere or psychotic (perhaps both). And things get weirder as the record progresses, especially with "Love You from the Heart" — the skeleton of the track being a simple beat and sleazy dialogue that reads like a satirical reply to Trent Reznor's "Closer" by a superdiva with a last name like Hilton or Lohan. But it's easy to invest in the humorous side and overlook how much care and meticulous attention to detail lie within each of the 19 tracks. This release isn't for everyone, and those who could barely stomach Blechdom's early releases should avoid this one by all means. However, fans of her early group works and solo endeavors will rejoice in the care and hyperspeed with which each song flows into the next.