I just struggle with the connection of words and music with this band. But clearly many thousands of people don't have a problem with it - so what would I know? It's subjective, right? This issue I am not going to directly discuss New Zealand music but wish to share with you two albums that I have obsessed over in recent weeks, and I realise that it must be because I believe in them. They couldn't be more diverse: Gnarls Barkley, 'St. Elsewhere' and Bob Dylan, 'Modern Times'. The first is a collection of songs with a great deal of humour and cartoon-like characters. Stylistically broad, many of the songs are short - half songs if you will. I like this because it seems the writing process stopped when the song was complete, avoiding unwarranted repetition. It reminds me of Beatles albums because there is no single over-riding genre; it chops and changes through a myriad of beats, bass lines and arrangement styles. The element that connects it all is the vocal performances, and if you want to hear a singer with chops, check it out. Somehow the vocal performances are believable because they are so rich in character. The diction, phrasing, timbres and dynamics compliment the equally colourful fractured beats and arrangements. I can't really tell you why it is believable, but simply I find the commitment to the vocal performances is so compelling, in spite of the sometimes outrageous and ridiculous lyrics. You try writing and singing a