The Monolith of Phobos is a Les Claypool-ly playful and charmingly over-the-top detailing of Buzz Aldrin’s astonishment in the face of Phobos’ natural monolith. It can be interpreted as a metaphor for our fear of the universe’s gigantic and bewildering existence; of course, from the perspective of us small humans. The cut’s instrumental intro does a good job of welcoming the listener. From there, the mellotron-vocal-like melodies are highly likeable. Moreover, the idiosyncratic vocal and bass performances are also worth noting, however, the structure and composition as a whole feel somewhat loose and lacking in direction.

High 6.

Cricket and the Genie – Movement I, The Delirium is —lyrically— a likeably peculiar and unique approach to the heartbreaking topic of addiction; specifically, the abuse of prescription drugs. Instrumentally, this track is a moving composition accentuated by ardent performances. The bass, of course, is a focal part of the song, but the rest of the psychedelic, riff-packed arranging is also memorable. What’s more, the marriage between the voices of Les Claypool and Sean Lennon is unexpected, though there’s an odd and undeniable chemistry there.

Mid 8.

Cricket and the Genie – Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket takes the last line of the first movement (where the cricket buys a gun) and leaves the ending open to interpretation. All the listener is left with are the lines “You ought to try it, you really ought to try it”. This creates a bleak and cryptic depiction of persuasion. The songwriting is complemented by a gradual buildup of instrumentals that parallels the weight of this enticement. In addition, the backing vocal harmonies and mellotron accompaniment come together in a theatrical and fun way, and the unique pitching work on the drums is also an interesting addition to conclude the (greatly tethered) two movements.

Mid 8.

Mr. Wright is about the sarcastically named and disgusting titular character who happens to be a “dirty little bastard” and a stalker. He sets up cameras to watch an elusive “her” sleep, shower, and pee. It’s honestly unsettling, and not in a particularly artful way or anything. On the other hand, the bass line is one of the most creative on the record. However, it ends up feeling repetitive and one-dimensional towards the end, and there’s not much chemistry between it and the rest of the bland and messy amalgamation of ideas.

Low 5.

Boomerang Baby is a tired, baseless, and irritatingly out-of-touch critique of what is presented as excessive smartphone use. Although the track has some really enjoyable vocal melodies and performances by Sean Lennon, there are definitely not enough to be considered redeeming qualities. The eerie and atmospheric guitar ornaments are a nice touch as well, but the lyrics are enough to make the whole over-the-top instrumental come across as simply obnoxious.

Low-Mid 2.

Breath of a Salesman sees Les Claypool asking a *salesman* to leave him alone time and time again. Arguably, under this, there’s an underlying critique of deceptive marketing and incessant selling tactics. Sadly, this is another forgettable cut with an eccentric bass arrangement courtesy of Les Claypool which simply falls flat because of the rest of the non-specific and unmemorable compositions — though the clean mix and occasional vocal harmony are still appreciable aspects present in the whole album.

High 5.

Captain Lariat is a critique of some type of person, but I can’t quite place my finger on which. Apparently someone with a tattoo of Sean Penn and who thinks they’re above the rest? — it’s seemingly a jab at the overly egotistical, though it’s hard to say. Instrumentally, this is an enjoyable track because of the jumpy bass line and interesting vocal layering. The breakdown, however, does bore somewhat as it’s a tad nonspecific and overlong.

Low-Mid 6.

Ohmerica: The line “the land of the free, the home of the naïve” does a good job of encapsulating the overall idea of this song: a critique of the USA — and a solid one at that. The jabs at consumerism and capitalism are accurate and creative. Sonically, however, this track feels overly one-dimensional from a compositional standpoint. Sean Lennon’s vocal performance is appreciable though slightly humdrum and the rest of the performances are also not all that evocative. Namely, they come together messily as the arrangements feel somewhat generic, personally.

High 4.

Oxycontin Girl: Continuing off of the last track’s criticism of the US, this song anecdotally details the horrors caused by the opioid epidemic; specifically by OxyContin. The narrative centres on an innocent theatre girl’s life slowly being ruined by the infamous drug’s qualities. Given that it’s a painful topic (and a bleak chosen narrative as well) the wacky delivery is puzzling and slightly undermines the message. The compositions are also a tad underwhelming again, although nowhere near the past 5 tracks. In fact, this is the strongest and most memorable moment since the “Cricket and the Genie” movements. The production maintains the quality sound of the rest of the record while accentuating performances that are much more compatible this time around. Additionally, the different sections also build off of each other in a way that feels satisfactory rather than exaggerated.

Mid 7.

Bubbles Burst is a track about Michael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee called *Bubbles*. It’s a metaphor for Michael Jackson’s Neverland being a dubious yet camouflaged coping mechanism for his saddeningly absent childhood, juxtaposed with the eccentricity of owning a chimpanzee. There’s also an undertone of impending turmoil since owning chimpanzees as pets is mostly outlawed because they’re too dangerous — so this “bubble” could eventually “burst”, similar to the bubble of childhood that always comes to a disheartening end. Frankly, I find it hard to keep talking badly about this album, but this song is another that sounds good because of admittedly appreciable mixing and production, although it falls flat due to it being exceedingly one-note.

High 4.

There’s No Underwear in Space is an instrumental closing track that continues off of Bubbles Burst through a smooth transition. It’s almost an enjoyable albeit ultimately monotonous, psychedelic finishing blow.

Low-Mid 5.