US Maple

When the vocals on this disc start, the Residents immediately come to mind. The singer takes on the conceptual and philosophical traits of their forefathers by creating some of the most convulsive and agonising sounds of mental disorder this side of Xenia, Ohio. Their point? To make the voice an instrument, to utilise the lungs, throats and convert emotional responses into sounds. Add in the fact that they hail from Chicago, the home of post-rock, and have a suspected case of Williams syndrome inflicted upon every band member and voila, you have a bonafide record that supports the fact that innocence can exist within madness. The most startling aspect of this album is that within the booklet there are lyrics to each track. Indeed, a brilliant anti-normality album, with all the acid casualty elements intact to boot. I am waiting impatiently for the day that someone hijacks a commercial radio station and plays this album non-stop until the world belongs to them.