Tobacco

Hyper-mysterious front-man for Pittsburgh, PA pop deconstructionists Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tom Fec returns with Maniac Meat, his second solo LP under the moniker Tobacco. Showing a propensity for pre-digital everything, Fec lays down 16 seemingly structure-less tracks not suitable for BMSR's latest endeavour into "poppier" territories. Album opener "Constellation Dirtbike Head" runs off Bruce Haack-approved, effects-laden vocals, anvil-heavy drum beats and a heady dose of knob noodling. "Fresh Hex," one of two manic compressive tracks featuring Beck, has Mr. Hansen spitting some of his most badass white-boy verses since the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's "Flavor." What makes Maniac Meat so wildly invigorating is Fec's ability to craft weather-treated ("Sweatmother"), blood-pumping ("New Juices From the Hot Tub Freaks") and downright original sounding songs that somehow come off like they were written on the first take. Like so many cliché-ridden sports announcers have said over the years, "he just makes it look so easy."