The Big Jinx

Falling James continues to go through band members like Imelda Marcos went through shoes but, given the lineup flux, this is a remarkably solid album — not great, but very solid. The band turns out a couple of strange set pieces, including the prog rock psychedelic epic "A Woman's Clouds" (in the time they'd take to finish three or four other songs), the dark, slow-motion rocker "Stowaway," an unusually strong cut that harks back to the more moody moments of the first two albums, and the jangly, dream/indie pop haze of "Chloroformality," which sounds like Pond. These cuts illustrate a more adventurous side of the band, and demonstrate James' versatility, though clearly he favors the short-fused two-minute punk explosions that make up the balance of the album. While none belong with the best cuts off previous releases, tracks like "Osmosis," with its ripping garage lead, the countrified "Can't Afford to Die," and old-school L.A. punk rock rave "Go A-F****n' Head (Break My Heart)" make this a worthwhile, if idiosyncratic, Leaving Trains album.