AN ASYLUM FOR THE MUSICALLY INSANE

A strange little album by a few guys from Birmingham which, at times, borders on the downright weird. There's a very unusual effect on the vocals that reminds me of the beginning of 'One of these days...' by Pink Floyd. After around eight or nine listens to this I still can't tell if it really IS an electronic effect or not. The whole thing sounds a bit schizo to me... There are one or two 'normal' sounding tracks immediately followed by something completely bonkers. This is a good thing as it enables each part to stand out more. There are bits of Floyd's 'Piper at the Gates...', Vaudelillian dance hall and bar room sing alongs. A real mish mash that holds itself together brilliantly. A true gem that I was very surprised to find considering it was recorded in 1969.

My personal favourite is 'Feel How So Cool The Wind' - a very unusual tune that sounds chilly and creepy with the aforementioned vocals and wouldn't be amiss on Floyd's 'Ummagumma' on one of it's more experimental parts.

Fans of Comus should definitely check this album out.