OTHER

The ten tracks that make up The Other represent a kind of psychic evolution for King Tuff. No less hooky than previous records the new songs ditch the goofy rock-and-roll bacchanalia narratives of earlier records in favor of expansive arrangements a diversity of instrumentation and lyrics that straddle the fence between painful ruminations and a childlike creative energy untarnished by cynicism. The soulful and cosmic new direction is apparent from the album s first moments: introduced by the gentle ringing of a chime acoustic guitar and warm organ tones quot;The Otherquot; is a narrative of redemption born of creativity. As Thomas sings about being stuck in traffic directionless with no particular reason to be alive he hears the call of quot;the other quot; a kind of siren song that instead of leading towards destruction draws the narrator towards a creative rebirth. Elsewhere tracks like quot;Thru the Cracksquot; and quot;Psycho Starquot; balance psychedelia with day-glo pop hooks. quot;The universe is probably an illusion but isn t it so beautifully bizarre?quot; he asks on quot;Psycho Star quot; providing one of the record s central tenets. At a time when everything in the world feels so deeply spoiled and the concept of making meaning out of the void seems both pointless and impossible why not try?