The Mommyheads

People who love the Mommyheads love them a lot. Since reforming back in 2008, they've managed to recapture some of the magic of their early recordings, which was so important in establishing such a devoted fan base. Vulnerable Boy (their third album since getting back together) is a needlessly complicated record that tries far too hard far too often. The main issue is the jarring, prog rock-influenced shifts that occur mid-song. Suddenly, dreamy piano is unexpectedly replaced by clanging guitars and it could quite easily be a completely different song starting. It does work some of the time though ― "Medicine Show" builds up nicely into a cacophony ― but more often than not it doesn't. The band say it best themselves with a bonus track ― the very straight-forward "No One Gives A Damn About Your Band." Although I'd give more of a damn if they recorded more songs like this. This is definitely not their best work.