Various Artists
(Lo Recordings)
Don't let the title fool you into thinking this has anything to do with psychedelic music as it came to be defined by artists like the Beatles, Cream and Pink Floyd in the psychedelic psyxties, although hints of Brian Wilson's tripped-out dentist office vibe keep drifting to the surface. Most tracks are closer in spirit to the psychedelic electronica of modern groups like Super Furry Animals (whose lead singer Gruff Rhys contributes the aptly titled gem, "Wild Robots Power Up") or Lemon Jelly.
Which makes sense, considering that Monsterism Island is inhabited exclusively by creatures from the mind of cartoonist Pete Fowler, best known for the sleeves he's done for Super Furry Animals. This is his second compilation disc, and if the tracks all seem to blend together, chances are, he meant to do that, sustaining a mood that takes you from the ukulele-driven tropical exotica of Monsters at Work's "Magic Morning" (featuring Peter Brooke-Turner of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain) to the Black Moth Super Rainbow-worthy psychedelic daydream of Richard (Grid) Norris' haunting "To All The Wizards in Lockdown." Jerry Dammers of the Specials also gets in on the action with the suitably spooky soundscape, "Lonely Library," with Marc Shearer of Octopus does his best imitation of Money Mark stealing the hook to Madonna's "Material Girl." It rarely reaches out and grabs you by the collar but it doesn't feel like it was meant to, either.
Standout tracks: "Wild Robots Power Up," "To All the Wizards in Lockdown" A. WATT.
