You'd probably think a side project from Pall (pronounced "Paul") Jenkins, founder of purveyors of gloom Black Heart Procession would be a bummed-out affair as well. But that simply ain't true. (Likewise, Album Leafer Jimmy LaVelle has shown us over the course of several albums that you can make albums for those who take Prozac and those who don't.) Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects is nothing like I expected, and I was impressed and stunned at the same time. Listen Up is a weird combination of funk, bluesy guitars, and synthesized beats that Black Heart Procession has never touched.  Jenkins's voice is still a deep baritone, but it comes off remarkably fresh when so many new sounds accompany it. 

Much like Frank Zappa did, Jenkins and his mates like to accent their funk with a brass section at times. As a whole, the album comes off as absurd -- the lyrics, the song titles, the idea of bum-out masters being funny -- but it succeeds because it doesn't take itself too seriously. With Listen Up, Jenkins shows he's much more than just a good depressant. 

***

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Band: http://www.mrtube.com/

Label: http://www.sweetnothingrecords.co.uk/