Review: Cathode Ray Eyes - Eyes In The Melancholy Palm

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I really dig Cardinal Fuzz, a label whose output is never less than brain-meltingly good, and, in my mind, just saying that Cardinal Fuzz is involved in some way in the release of a record should be as good a review as necessary, doubly so if the ace Captcha Records are also involved. But alas, dear readers, you are a fickle lot so here goes....

Cathode Ray Eyes is the solo project of Ryan Delgaudio from The Cult Of Dom Keller (another indicator of high quality) and the LP is a joint release between Cardinal Fuzz (UK and Europe) and Captcha (in the US) and is, to quote the Cardinal himself, "a melting pot of lo-fi madness recorded as a by product of insomnia, tinnitus and the descending insanity of the world around us.". Over the course of 13 tracks (in just over 40 minutes) Delgaudio weaves a rich tapestry of styles and moods that both unsettles and awes the listener.

This is not a straightforward LP, there is no one-defining style or feel to latch onto. It lurches from the soundtrack to an imagined lost episode of 'Tales Of The Unexpected' ('And The Burial Has Several Different Endings') to gothabilly ('Death Song No.1' with it's "this is the tale of another dead whore" refrain....it's like an East Midlands version of Deadbolt). There is some twisted electric blues straight out of the Bob Log III camp ('Grim Reaper On My Back') and a fuzzy stormer of a garage/blues number ('Harry Houdini'). 'Will You Catch Me When I Fall From On High' has a twisted 60's psychedelic vibe; sitar and tabla and distorted vocals of which the Butthole Surfers would be proud, whilst 'When There Is No Beginning, Middle Or End' has a gothic, post punk edge to it. In between we have some dark shoegaze ('1000 Suns'), an acoustic track that would fit neatly into Nick Cave's canon ('The Unsuccessful Resurrection of James Dean') and, gasp, a track that actually sounds quite like The Cult Of Dom Keller ('I Woke Up This Morning And The World Was On Fire'). Listening for the first time is like listening to a mixtape that your stoned muso mate has done for you....you don't know what's coming next but you know it's going to be quality and deliriously whacked-out !

This bloke Ryan is a clever chap....he has produced an LP of infinite variety, unwavering quality and huge imagination. This LP will only get better on repeated listens, but after a couple I am hooked!

The LP is released on June 1st but pre-orders are up on Cardinal Fuzz and, as mentioned, will also be released by Captcha in the US. Get in quick....it's gonna fly!