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Album Details

• Artist: Brian Jonestown Massacre
• Album: Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?
• Label: Red Eye
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: tosnob on 2010-03-17

You know when you get a new album from the Brian Jonestown Massacre that it's not going to be a run-of-the-mill indie rock record. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, but it's always out there. The new album, Who Killed Sgt Pepper? is no exception.

Discernible choruses are few and far between on the album. Instead what we are given is a collection of trippy psychedelic tracks that range widely in effectiveness.

When they are on point the songs are mesmerizing. Maybe it's the environment in Iceland and Germany where the album was recorded, but a song like "Tunger Hnifur" enchants with a Spiritualized-esque clatter. A German techno pop feel will have you bopping along to "Dekta! Dekta! Dekta!" as well.

Anton Newcombe and company show off a funky side as well. "Tempo 116.7" kicks the record off with a solid groove while "This Is the First of Your Last Warnings (Icelandic)" will almost have you tearing the roof off this sucka. It may all come together best as "Feel It" immerses you in its flow.

Too often though, the songs fail to hit with their intended impact. Droners that go nowhere, like "White Music" and "Felt Tipped Pictures of UFOs", the latter featuring a sample of John Lennon's infamous Jesus quote, sap the energy from the proceedings.

More infuriating though is the production itself. The songs are often a murky mess, laden down with a constant fuzz that mutes the most interesting of the records sounds.

Who Killed Sgt Pepper? can be both an exercise in frustration and an expression of delight, but that's just not good enough in this day and age.

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