George Harrison called his sprawling debut All Things Must Pass. Alvarius B. (aka Sun City Girls/Sublime Frequencies co-founder Alan Bishop) could’ve called his new similarly styled triple record/two-CD set All Things Suck Ass. Yeah, if you’re looking for a blast of optimism in 2018, you might want to look elsewhere. Bishop’s outlook on 21st century humanity is positively nightmarish. “Some prick called me a cynic / said I don’t have any hope,” he sings in “Dark in my Heart.” “But I hope he croaks.” Misanthropy might not be a strong enough term. Interestingly, however, the songwriter cloaks his pitch black musings in some of the most accessible (downright welcoming!) music of his career, drawing from the deep wells of Dylan, Davies and Cash (as well as touches of Morricone). Throw in the fact that Bishop is usually pretty hilarious (in an extremely dark/provocative way, of course), and you’ve got a listening experience that is actually … fun? Something like that anyway. At 35 songs, With a Beaker on the Burner and an Otter in the Oven is a lot to take in all at once, but its skewed visions are well worth experiencing. words / t wilcox
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Agreed. Alvarius B has been one of my favorite things since around 2004…and of his work this is the most melodically diverse while still accessible. Note that Baroque Primitiva is exquisite and perhaps his most complete work, yet this new one is certainly more diverse, and the song Obelisk is one of the smoothest things ever….note that there are covers on this album that the casual listener might not realize.