Fergus and Geronimo: Unlearn (Hardly Art)

Andrew Savage (Fergus) and Jason Kelly (Geronimo) from Texas have consciously adopted that deliberately quirky approach which allows them to be labeled as "experimental", although if you suggest they might be slightly ADHD in their approach you'd probably be accused of not "getting it".

It is actually easy to get.

They quite like early Zappa/Mothers of Invention in their satirical talk-sing, time-changing incarnation (here on Wanna Know, Baby Boomer/Could You Deliver?, Where the Walls Are Made of Grass) but they can also bring a touch of white college kid soul to their pop (Powerful Lovin') which is much more successful.

Of course to be truly indie and alt you need some distorted lo-fi guitars (here on Michael Kelly which could have come from any one of thousands of bands), and they look back to garageband power pop for Baby Don't You Cry (which owes a vocal debut to the young Mick Jagger).

So this is a bit all over the place and maybe once the Zappa is dropped they'll bring a more coherent vision to whatever it is they want to do.

Right now this album comes off as a collection of bedroom ideas, some yuck-yuck satire and some highly promising alt.pop midwifed into existence with the help of friends.

Forced Aloha is delightfully dreamy piece of pop which, while hardly original, is actually quite affecting. And on the title track they look to the late Fifties/Beach Boys for a stab at harmony pop which is kinda funny . . . but of course owes something to Zappa's Ruben and the Jets album.

Next time, if there is one.

Like the idea of this? Then check out Robyn Hitchcock and the Soft Boys here.