Zoom Daddy＜限定盤/Colored Vinyl＞

The novelty-act quality of the Swirling Eddies (the alter-ego incarnation of Daniel Amos) becomes blurred on this release. This is a serious album with an artfully crafted sound and provocative lyrics. Gone is the silliness of the Swirling Eddies' last effort, Outdoor Elvis; no "CoCo the Talking Guitar" or "Arthur Fhardy's Yodelling Party" here. Gone too are the phony names. Written and recorded with the core ensemble of Terry Taylor, Tim Chandler, and David Raven, Zoom Daddy is all about groove and intelligence. The instrumentation is primarily guitar-driven, though piano does have prominence on many tracks -- most notably "Nightmare at the Elks' Lodge." The first track, "I Had a Bad Experience With the CIA and Now I'm Gonna Show You My Feminine Side," sets the tone of the whole album with its subtle groove, intense poetic lyrics, and intricate wordplay. Other cuts of note include the groove-driven "Mr. Sharky" and the vocal phrasings of "Pyro Sets a Wildfire." Provided the album stays in print long enough, this will be a recording that stays ahead of its time for a long time. ~ Mark W. B. Allender