WHO ARE THEY? A 10-piece crew from Brussels who got their start as a Frank Zappa tribute act — and maintain that conceptual continuity with their own cozmik concoction of lumpy gravy, peaches en regalia and camarillo brillo.
WHAT IS THIS? A four-track EP that follows up their recently reissued 2015 album Symphony For Auto-Horns, and introduces new vocalist Alain Louie.
WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE? A half-hour of stellar musicianship, intricate arrangements, prime-number time signatures, smouldering boogie-rock, baritone crooning and lyrical sardonicism that recalls Zappa at the height of his mid-’70s satirical brilliance.
WHAT SHOULD IT BE TITLED? Brothers of Reinvention.
HOW SHOULD I LISTEN TO IT? With the Zappaphile in your circle.
WHAT 10 WORDS DESCRIBE IT? Eccentric, intellectual, complicated, accomplished, audacious, stylish, iconoclastic, progressive, provocative, arch.
WHAT ARE THE BEST SONGS? The slow-burn opening title cut and the horn-driven (and incredibly titled) finale Reüaüg (Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz)
WHAT WILL MY FRIENDS SAY? ‘Frankly, they’re still a Zappa tribute band — they’re just playing songs he didn’t get around to writing.’
HOW OFTEN WILL I LISTEN TO THIS? If you’re a Zappa fan — and why would you have read this far if you aren’t? — you’ll take it out for a spin from time to time.
IF THIS ALBUM WERE A PUNCTUATION MARK, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE? An apostrophe.
SHOULD I BUY, STREAM OR STEAL IT? Hey, it’s only four tracks — a little less cheepnis, please.
