MARSUPIAL
Genus Thylacinus
http://marsupialmusic.com
Opening with an eight-minute Fleetwood Mac-esque tune which quickly morphs into a trippy extended guitar solo, I initially wasn't sure where this band was either coming from or headed. But after a few cycles through the album...I still wasn't sure. Suffice it to say, these guys are part rock band, part jam band, part jazz quartet and part everything else. Obviously heavily influenced by the Grateful Dead (right down to the vocal harmonies), Marsupial doesn't allow itself to go more than a single track without changing up its style (sometimes just barely) and giving the listener something new. I always respect bands that make it difficult to pigeonhole them. It does make my job harder of course, but it makes my soul happier. "In Between" mixes a carefree reggae feel with an ethereal pedal steel guitar to create an intriguing composition by the end of which it's simply impossible to not be wearing a smile. "Naked in the Hall of Seduction," the longest track on the album at nine minutes and 39 seconds, alternates distortion-heavy licks with lighthearted, Jerry Garcia strumming and even tosses in some odd transitional effects evocative of Pink Floyd's 1975 Wish You Were Here or even Mr. Bungle's sophomore album, Disco Volante. "Sucker Punch" lives up to its name, taking the listener by surprise with a head-banging instrumental complete with 80s-style hammer-ons, a flash or two of Living Colour's Vernon Reid and even a nod to the late, great Dimebag Darrell. As a result, (and this should be no surprise to anyone who regularly reads this column) this is my favorite song on the album. Genus Thylancinus is probably one of the best all-around listens I've had in several months. I like each song for completely different reasons, and that almost never happens. Keep it up, guys.
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