Lucy Mongrel
Lucy Mongrel
Lucy Mongrel

Not many artists would have the balls to put negative and confused reviews in their press kit, let alone on their web site, fewer yet in the liner notes of the CD itself. It could mean a few things. (a) This woman is crazy. (b) This woman is brilliant. (c) This woman is playing a big joke on everyone. I can see her now laughing her ass off as asshole music critics (like me) wade knee-deep into this bizarre and un-peggable album. Believe me, if so, the joke is not wasted. It's like if someone put Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Frank Zappa, Oingo Boingo, Siouxsie Sioux, Dead Can Dance and maybe Sesame Street into a blender and melted it into a CD. Quite simply you've never heard anything like this.

The remarkable thing is the undeniable quality that Lucy Mongrel's album possesses. It's well made. It’s just so different. She can sing beautifully. The musicians she hired for this project are undoubtedly first rate too. The odd, banjo-laden "Meet in the Streets" gets things off to a psychotic start. The primary verses are annoying but the chorus is pleasant enough. It's Yoko Ono singing on Joe's Garage or Sheik Yerbouti with Wilco. Trippy. Things calm down a bit for "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?", a more standard sounding cut. It's a little mellower and not odd musically but the lyrics are Mother Goose-like. "Five Years Ago" is one of the more Laurie Anderson sounding cuts (though it's forced into a standard song framework). There’s almost a beat-poetry quality to her delivery on some songs, like "Don't Call it Too Late." Even though she can sing she chooses not to do so very well on the bluesy "Quicksand Passion." "Livin' the Blues" gets the prize for most annoying attempt at delta blues. However, "Next Time You Wake Up" is great. The loungey "Miss Rowena" should be the surreal soundtrack to a David Lynch film set in a Ramada Inn cocktail lounge. "Papa Legba" is my favorite song. It's got a fun African vibe and reminds me of what you might get if Youssou N'Dour and Bjork did a piece together. "Max the Circus Cat" is probably fun for cat lovers but since I'm allergic to those nasty things I'll just leave it at...bizarre.

There are so many different sounds on this album that it can not be categorized and that's what I like about it. It's all over the place. If it weren’t done well it would be piece of crap album. But since it's done with such depth and flair I can't help but find it intriguing. No. This is not something I'd listen to on an every day basis. In fact there are enough annoying tracks on this album that this could be one of those albums you pull out to clear out the party. Still, I do admire the effort. It's like a type of jazz where there are not merely different instruments to try out but genres as well. If only as a curiosity I think it's worth a listen.

--Chadbo

Track Listing:

1. Meet in The Streets
2. Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
3. Five Years Ago
4. Don't Call it Too Late
5. Circle the Wagons
6. Quicksand Passion
7. Livin' The Blues
8. Next Time You Wake Up
9. Thank You
10. Miss Rowena
11. Papa Legba
12. Ode to a Cowboy
13. Max the Circus Cat
14. Freedom