The worst part of this album, and the best part, is the experimentation. The lengthy build-ups to start some songs gets tiring, however the imaginative trips the band takes stretches their pop songs into a new realm.

Not as fully realized, or close to the genius of the Flaming Lips. The Brother Egg seems to want to be on that level, writing darling pop tunes you can bounce your head too, as they stuff them full of substance and tweak them to sound like a delightful drug experiment.

At their core, though, they're just mellow, smooth pop songs that use space, rather than noise, to bring the songs to life, the lingering, desolate approach dragging you in, sometimes with chills, as you absorb yourself in the music. I'll give this a B-.

Bronx, The: The Bronx

Brothering: Brothering [cassette]

[Issue Fifty-Four // November 2002]