Ooh La La!

Utilizing old toys from the ‘70s (such as the optigan/optical organ) the Crash Test Dummies’ latest sonic manifesto carries on in a similar vein to their previous efforts and the nerdy lyrics and tender and nostalgic ballads are all present and correct for this latest outing. Singer Brad Roberts’ voice is still as deep as ever and for the most part, his baritone overshadows much of the material on the record. Songs such as ‘The In-Between Place’ and ‘Songbird’ have a distinct Marmite flavor, but if you can get past the vocals, some of the musicianship is quite inventive. However, in this reviewer’s opinion, its a lot of effort for something less than profound.
Key Track: ‘Paralyzed’