DOC AT THE RADAR STATION

A strong album from Beefheart which doesn't quite hit the standard of Shiny Beast, but gets awfully close to it. The inclusion of more catchy, almost danceable rhythms in songs such as Run Paint Run Run suggests the rhythm-dominated proceedings of the forthcoming Ice Cream for Crow, whilst several songs - Hot Head, Ashtray Heart, Dirty Blue Gene in particular - suggest a general theme of disintegrating romantic relationships. Off-kilter instrumentals such as A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond show off the capabilities of the new and reinvigorated Magic Band, whose backing is as tight as ever.