MR CALIFORNIA AND THE STATE POLICE - AUDIO HALLUCINATIONS (LOAD 052)

I GUESS BEN DIDN'T REALLY GET OVER THE SLIGHTLY STUPID ULTRACHEAP COMEDY AESTHETIC OF A GROUP LIKE GERTY FARISH OR HAWD GANGSTUH RAPPUHS BECAUSE HERE IS A RETURN TO THAT GENERAL "VIBE".

THE ALBUM COVER IS COOL AND THAT IS THE END OF MY PRAISE. I REALLY DISLIKE THIS RECORD. DON'T FEEL TOO BAD: I THINK MISTER CALIFORNIA (IF THAT IS HIS REAL NAME) IS ENTIRELY AWARE THAT HIS WORK IS WILDLY DIVISIVE.

ORIGINALLY RELEASED AS A 10" RECORD WITH 51 TRACKS. THE FIRST 8 (SIDE A) ARE NORMAL LENGTH SONGS OF A GUITAR/DRUM MACHINE LO-FI AESTHETIC AND I SUPPOSE THEY'RE NOT 100% AWFUL AND EXHIBIT SOME SONGWRITING BUT THEY'RE DELIVERED IN THIS BROAD "COMEDIC" STYLE THAT IS FATIGUING.

SIDE B IS 40+ PIECES OF APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS APIECE (SOME LONGER, SOME SHORTER) THAT ARE MORE LIKE A SOUNDBOARD FOR A MORNING ZOO RADIO SHOW ON THE FRINGES OF THE CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE (WHICH MAKES IT SOUND COOLER THAN IT IS: IT IS NOT).

FUCKING HELL THE LIGHTNING BOLT MONEY COMING IN REALLY STARTED TO MAKE BEN GO MAD WITH POWER. THIS SUCKS. I FEEL STUFF LIKE THIS IS ATTENTION-GRABBING IN THE WORST POSSIBLE WAY. FRIENDS FOREVER MAKES ME NOSTALGIC FOR CERTAIN THINGS IN THE EARLY 2000S. THIS MAKES ME GLAD THEY'RE GONE.

RATED: RANCID