Martin Tielli

If the concept of Tielli’s first solo album was to explore hushed all-acoustic territory, this time out his sole purpose is to indulge his musical id in all its weird and wonderful non-linear glory. In Rheostatic terms, this means lots of cephalous worms, Satanic whistlers, and strange dreams. It sounds best when it’s seemingly out of control, like his unhinged vocals on the opening "Beauty On” or on the whimsically profane ode to a drug-busting cop "Merry Christmas Sergeant Kraulis.” With the complicity of his colourful band —guitarist Ford Pier and drummer Barry Mirochnick (both of Veda Hille’s band), keyboardist Jon Goldsmith and bassist Greg Smith — Tielli feels free to stop songs on a dime and shift gears at random, which is why this often sounds like a collision of memories from a musical dream. It’s never as nightmarish as his Nick Buzz project, and the most straight-ahead song is an unrecognisable Smog cover. It’s as magical as it is mystifying.