Universe Narrows

Universe Narrows

This father-son duo has produced an impressively gem-studded collection, with some eccentric and often absolutely brilliant songs. I especially like their colorful, light-handed history-and-philosophy drenched lyrics and zoned-out melodic ambiance. They also have a loony, take-no-prisoners credo ala The Holy Modal Rounders, The Loving Spoonful and The Turtles, as on the chewy bubblegum confection “In My Mind,” replete with vocals sung through what seems to be Rudy Vallee’s funnel. And “(A Really Nice) Guy” sounds for all the world like The Kinks circa “Mirror of Love.” (And compare “No Such Thing as Late” and “Big Black Smoke.” And is the riff of “Bottomless Lakes” a tribute to “And Your Bird Can Sing”?)  All this is not to imply that they’re mere tribute-rockers—they are fine musicians capable of offering sophisticated variations on a theme—the crypto-syncopated dynamic of “Lightning Bugs” is a musical head-turner, and a classic. And the hits keep right on coming; see “Uranium, Rubies and Gold” and “Pining Yellow Moon.” And who among us has ever heard a song like “Trouble Free Zone”: “Around me there must be an all-enveloping eyeball/ It’s under and over too/ Made entirely of the green sea.” Sleeper of the month.        (Francis DiMenno)