Bugger Me, it's Sam Coomes

Musically, Coomes' debut is as straight forward as it gets; most songs are comprised of his vocals, sparse drums, and a cavalcade of organs that distort and warp like funhouse mirrors.

In a release accompanying the album, Coomes said, "The fact that Bugger Me is a murky, maybe even a little creepy sounding album is no accident. It is entertainment music, but entertainment music meant for those not served by more mainstream entertainment music.

"Fordana" is terrific, heartfelt and seering; it's the song that has the most success with the album's commitment to a sauntering tempo. The chords are still surreal and druggy, but Coomes voice pushes though the sonic mirk with a powerful raspy grit to it. In a way it's reminiscent of the frank emotion of Built to Spill, a band that Coomes has produced.

The second half of "Tough Times in Plastic Land / Everybody Loves a War" works better than the first, as Coomes' eerie organs have more breathing room.

A pair of interludes, "The Tucchus Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2", are barely intelligible burbling that drag the record down and make it feel less accessible as a whole. "Bugger-me" is too jarring, and what could've been a cohesive song is drowned in a sea of screeching and sludge.

Coomes wouldn't have the length career he's had if he wasn't a gifted songwriter, and hopefully if he puts out another solo album he can find a better balance between good weird and gratuitous weird.