Ween

Shinola Vol. 1 might sound like a dream come true for Ween fans and, well, it is. Any fan of Gene and Dean’s goofy, satirical, home-recorded early work must have wondered at some point just how much honest goodness fills their old four-track tapes; the ambitious Shinola project gives those very fans more than a glimpse. What Ween have done here is gone back over their old, unreleased work and recorded it anew, with their current ears of professionalism. Most delightfully, the silly, playful vibe of this early material (such as Pure Guava-style lo-fi romps "Tastes Good on th’ Bun” and "Big Fat Fuck”) is still sincerely intact, proving that although Ween have certainly aged as men, they haven’t strayed too far from their Scotch Guard-huffing adolescence. Songs like the brilliant Thin Lizzy homage "Gabrielle,” Steely Dan-ish "Transitions,” the slow blues ballad "I Fell in Love Today” and spacey workout "The Rift,” are among the best and funniest Ween have released in years. Let’s hope we won’t have to wait so long for Volume 2.