Double U

San Francisco's freakish quartet is back with another exceptional album of mind fucks and otherworldly dreams. Images of San Francisco's forefathers of surreal, the Residents, come to mind, but the Double U is much more musical, although in a very disturbed way. Like a psychedelic "oom-pah" band on one too many downers, the band is always staggering on the breach of collapse without a care in the world, as their off-kilter ballroom rhythms dance alongside the absurdist vocals. Matt Hall's squawk could make him a tamed cousin of The Lord of the Rings' Golem, contrasting greatly with the pretty girly squeaks of Linda Hagood as the proceedings chug along in this slow motion carnival. Fucking Champ Tim Green produces most of these sessions with a keen ear to the strange warmth the Double U emits. Somewhere deep in the subconscious it all makes sense, feeling cozy and at home.