THE LOBSTER BOYS

Soon after Lars signed his When band into Jester records, he said that he had long time wanted to take samples from old garagebands, but thought it to be too audacious. But then he noticed, everybody else was doing that, so he started it also in his 'Psychedelic Wunderbaum'-album. In this album When become a 'real' band, when Oyvind Borgemoen joined in playing drum pad, organ and melodica and Nils Arne Overg'rd in guitar. Also there was Gro Lovdahl playing viola in one track. Because this album has even theme of Lobster Boys, I believe the album name has taken from American Horror Story-movie, where one of it's characters has nickname 'lobster boy'. This album has a lots of influences from the Beach Boys and the Beatles, but sure there is strangeness as in every When- album.

'(Theme From) the Lobster Boys' is short, very cheerful piece. There is feeling as you have come into middle of some sixties hippie folk camp. For some reason in Spotify there is 15 minutes version that has in the end same music as in original CD. Maybe the piece was originally that long, but Lars decided to cut down 13 minutes to it in original CD-version. 'Cut' has from the begin very Indian music -feeling. Soon starts very melodic vocals. Really I can think the Beatles would have made something like this in 2001! But piece ends into very chaotic jam. There is same structure also in 'Flower Jam', but song is not as interesting as previous one. 'Z 33' is short, misty instrumental. 'Sunshine Superhead' is very sixties style good-natured pop ballad without any noise, so it's not wonder why it had heavy rotation in Norwegian radio.

In 'Instant Flute' direction goes little bit more experimental, but still it's very melodic. Greatest song after 'Cut' this far! 'The Greatest Sorrow On Earth' uses samples for example from Mulatu Astetke's song, it's very eastern sounding instrumental piece. Same continues in 'Puff Pipe', but it's more hypnotic and changes in the end quite noisy. 'Ruin Yourself' is really great song mixing garagerock and melodic psychedelic elements. It repeats verse 'All Together Now' - straight from the Beatles! It ends into cosmic sounds and weird human voices. 'Ruin Mix' is short continuum to the previous one. In 'Too Much Hello Goodbye Again' album goes back to the sixties pop. I wonder when there is question mark, does Lars ask his fans is he too much in the sixties music? The last, over 16 minutes long 'When' is more some kind of bonus piece. In it's collage structure it reminds the earlier When albums, although has also very psychedelic feeling. In the end there is long rave with guitar noise.

All the way this album is much more psychedelic than 'Psychedelic Wunderbaum'. But although there are really great moments, I think as a whole the album is just good. Maybe the reason is just in me, I haven't ever been a big fan of music using lots of samples. I believe I will listen next 'Pearl-Harvest'-album, if that will be just good to me as every other this bands albums have been, I believe my When-journey is over.