Neil Michael Haggerty

Neil Haggerty is one-half of the infamous Royal Trux team and was a member of the even more infamous Pussy Galore. Royal Trux have put out more albums than even most die-hard fans have been able to keep up with, so it's quite surprising that Neil had the extra time and tape to churn out yet another one on the side. Royal Trux have always been an unpredictable band, and this album is an extension of that same indomitable spirit. The overall sound on the disc is small and echo-y, with the bass and drums apparently being all electronic. Think of David Essex's song "Rock On," recorded in an alternate universe where free jazz guitar is the order of the day and you're in the right ballpark. Songs like the opener, "Know That," have an almost folk appeal, with Neil's vulnerable voice sitting over jangly guitar and undulating synth. Others, like "Fortune and Fear" and "Kali, The Carpenter," rock circus-quality Casio lines underneath some of the most insane, abstract rock guitar work since Greg Ginn's heyday. In fact, it's this completely dusted guitar work here that makes songs like "Whiplash in Park" and "Tender Metal' worth hearing. Neil's own words on the record sum it up best, "Your parents will hate it, but your grandparents might like it if they're dead and floating around."