Championed by Matthew Sweet, Beachwood Sparks and Robert Pollard, this '60s mod band supposedly outclassed The Who and the Small Faces. But their two cuts from the Nuggets II box set sounded disingenuous, as if producer George Martin was putting them through handclaps and backup vocals against their will. These demos might have gelled into something similar had the album for which they were intended been released at the time; the best song here, "Brain," was barely an idea, according to guitarist Alan King in the liner notes. Or maybe the band switched to different drugs, as King suggests. Whatever the case, the spacey mix leaves lots of room for your ear to take up residency. Only "Brain" and "Strange Roads" stand out as individual tracks. But always some wayward guitar ostinato or punchy bass line catches you unaware. And then it evaporates again. A perfect companion to a hazy state of mind, even if it isn't queeny and demented enough for us John's Children and Idle Race fans.
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