SLEEPING IN TRAFFIC - PART TWO

At the mention of the 35-minute epic mega- titletrack, I was instantly attracted to the music of BEARDFISH. Since I mostly listen to progressive metal, I thought: ''Why not try something new?'' BEARDFISH clearly offers that with their unique blend of humor, 70's rock influences, ranging from the mighty Frank ZAPPA to GENTLE GIANT; and goofy, yet enjoyable lyrics.

Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two is bookended by two short, muted piano songs, ''As the Sun Sets'' and ''Sunrise Again''. While they have their charm, I find them to be very throwaway tracks. In great contrast, ''The Hunter'' and ''South of the Border'' are good hard rocking tunes, the former putting forth a mid-paced groove from Robert Hansen's bass guitar, while the latter is more guitar driven, displaying the band's Zappaesque sense of humor (I particularly loved the vocal sound effects and the a capella section). There is room for the proggier tracks too, with the almost 9-minute ''Into the Night'' being the first real dive into the album with a mildly upbeat melody, while it's polar opposite ''The Downward Spiral/Chimay'' is the sad straggler, eventually picking up speed with a nice proggy acoustic instrumental section. ''Cashflow'' is the Part Two equilavlent of ''The Ungodly Slob'', with bubbly organs, chickin' picked guitars, and funky bass.

But the icing on the cake (or rather the cake itself) comes with ''Sleeping in Traffic'', the monster epic. There is to much to describe about this song, except that there are pirates, great musicianship, a disco club, a fire-breathing bitch, and seagulls among other things. What I was most suprised about when listening to this song for the first time was how well it flows. The 35 minutes went by in a flash; the rhythm really does grab the listener by the balls.

All in all, the album is a must-have if you are a true fan of music looking for something fun to lighten up your collection a bit. Both Sleeping in Traffic albums are equally genius. I mean after all, whatever Captain Flurry says, you must believe that it's true.

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