Dreamtime With The Comas

Every few days or so, I schlep over to Dave the Music Editor's desk to see if he's got any new musical gems to lend me. Today was one of those schlepping days, and he handed me The Comas latest album Spells. The cover caught my eye, first of all, with an illustration of little stuffed animals with scary button eyes and pointy claws running ritualistically around in a circle. I'm a sucker for cover art, and decided they got bonus points for an aesthetically haunting but fuzzy wuzzy visual.

The first song on the CD is called "Red Microphones." Hey! I know this one! I keep this ratty notebook to write down songs and bands I like, so I can look them up later (I never do, of course). Sure enough, "Red Microphones" by The Comas was in there. I don't even remember where I heard it, but it's got a catchy melody that's hard to forget. The kind of catchy melody I end up listening to over and over and over until I get sick of it. I've already listened to it 4 times today. Right now, I'm in the just-got-my-hands-on-a-copy stage of obsession, and it sparkles with thrilling newness, similar to a new crush.

About the 4th listen, I started catching some of the lyrics, though. "Red Microphones from your eyes, they're everywhere...We grind the bones of liar giants and drink the blood of maidens swooning." What the hell?!

Seems my new crush has a kinky streak.

"Light The Pad" is another good one, it has an stoney quality combined with dreamy vocals that sing "transmission's down" repeatedly with a crawling slowness that's sorta creepy. At one point, I swear there's someone screaming in the background but you can barely hear it.

The Comas end Spells with a track titled "After the Afterglow." I love it when an album ends with a sad, sad love song (It's how I usually end my mix tapes). Soft guitar strumming goes sweetly with forlorn vocals singing the chorus "13 evil buzzards circling our love, 13 evil buzzards waiting up above." How romantic!

Come to think of it, the entire album blends the lines between weird and pretty. It's like The Comas have created an imaginary whimsical world, and they're letting you have a look.

And then sending you home with nightmares.