I daresay that Old Time Relijun’s, “Catharsis In Crisis†is the most unique record I’ve heard this year. It’s not quite angry, and it’s definitely not mean, but it’s as intense and voracious as Tom Waits and as musically inventive as The Tom Tom Club.
Hailing from Olympia, Washington, the center of Old Time Relijun is Arrington de Dionyso, the singer and main writer of these ragtag tunes. Together with Aaron Hartman (bass) and a passel of drummers worthy of Spinal Tap discussion, the band has created a jazzypunk sound unlike any other.
The content is obscure to say the least, unintelligible at times. I can’t understand what “Daemon Meeting†is about, but I think it’s funny. And then some of it is not even in English, like “Veleno Mortale,†which sounds like its whispered and screamed by David Byrne with laryngitis. Undeniable, unignorable, this is a fascinating album with heart, D.I.Y. spirit, and lots of clatter. I highly recommend it.
