BATELESS EDGE

My first encounter with Frogg Cafe- and let me assure that despite their origins as a Frank Zappa tribute band, they don't sound anything like Zappa but that's OK because they don't claim to- and probably my last. It's not that Bateless Edge is terrible, it just sort of is. Typical of a lot of so-so albums of their genre, it's a lot of very skillfull instrumental fiddling put together but it all seems sort of pointless. The playing doesn't have enough hooks in it to make it enjoyable and if there's some sort of intellectual or emotional concept/effect being aimed at, I don't see it. It all seems a bit dry and disposable.

That said, the tracks that bookend the album are great. The climax of the beautiful vocal harmonies on Terra Sancta is pretty heart-stopping and Belgium Boogie Board is a great mindfuck that almost sounds like someone attempting to play a hip-hop sample collage live. Other glimpses of quality are found- the awesome riffage that opens Under Wuhan Son II, the beautiful solo at the end of Move Over I'm Driving- but they're lost in a sea of mere acceptability.

A decent album but not anything to run to the record shop over.

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