Erewhon
David Thomas is, of course, leader of Pere Ubu, those ambassadors of the absurd, and Erehwon (apart from being a famous book) is "nowhere" spelled backwards.Erehwonis also David Thomas backwards, in a way, coming on like Tom Waits after a serious bout with hallucinogenics. With the assistance of Keith Moline and Andy Diagram, he's put together a record that's not quite like anything. So, you have things like the haunting, dub-like trumpet of "Lantern" and the bowel-deep rock of "Morbid Sky." But even at its strangest--which is pretty strange--there's a weird beauty about this album. It's not the spiky corners and angle irons of Ubu, but more like surfaces of finished metal meeting ghost town tumbleweeds, and the thin hum of tires on suburban streets. If you're looking for certainties, you won't find them here; if you crave urban adventure, this is the right place.--Chris Nickson