For those of you who don't know, Omar A. Rodriguez Lopez is the guitarist
and lead creative director with the Mars Volta project. He was also
guitarist for El Paso's beloved quintet At the Drive in, I would imagine you
wouldn't be reading this if you haven't heard of them. This is O-Rod's solo project but it seems like the custodian at Gold Standard Labs swept up all of the scraps from the Mars
Volta recording sessions and gave them back to O-Rod like he still wanted
them. Being the eternal hippie O-Rod lives by the one-mans-trash-is-another-mans-treasue credo.

The album feels might best be described as a long-ass introduction to something that
never actually arrives. It's almost like being stranded in an M.C. Escher drawing or in
the labyrinth with David Bowie. A Manuel Dexterity would be a suitable
soundtrack for a night time road trip across the desert because of its
relaxied feel and that it follows no conventional rhythmic patterns, or song structure, but
then again it will jolt you right back to rapt attention with an unexpected high pitch feedback stab in the ear, should you start dozing at the wheel.

It's not until track four, "Deus ex Machine," that you will hear any singing -
technically I guess you would call it singing, though I'm at a loss to convey exactly what kind of singing you would call it. It's some sort of Spanish vocal, courtesy of a man (possibly a relative) by the
name of Angel Marcelo Rodriguez sings the song in a classic Spanish style
and feel which gives the song a very vintage Mexican atmosphere.

There is also
stellar use of the typewriter as a legitimate musical instrument on
"Sensory Decay Part II." Although very original, the typewriter idea
walks that fine line between brilliance and fruity artsy fartsyness. On "Of Blood Blue
Blisters" O-Rod's number one Disney character, Dumbo, came in and lifted
his trunk in front of the microphone. And not to worry, Cedric does make an
appearance on "The Palpitations Form a Limit" for some singing help. This
album has an awkward listenabilty related to the "stoner factor verses
sober factor." Since there is so much going on on this CD stoners might
appreciate the trippiness level of O-Rod psycadelic riff
arranging. Maybe if the boneman lets me pick and list my favorite albums
of the year on this site this will be on it as 'Trippiest album of the
year." You probably will not dig this album at first because Radriguez
is so off the wall. But give it about five straight listens perhpas find a safe way to alter your frame of mind for an hour and get a feel for
it because you now own a fine piece of music and art.