(Interscope)

This album sucks. Not in the normal way, however, but in the Primus way, which is good. This might be confusing, but, hey, that's Primus. This album sucks because it's quite different from previous Primus albums, and I'll tell you why.

Bassist/vocalist Les Claypool's lyrics have always been wacked out, with songs about strange characters like Tommy the Cat, Sathington Willoughby and Wynona and the big brown beaver. With the Brown Album, there is no sign of those surreal characters going away, with tales about Arnie, Renegade, and the afore-mentioned Sathington Willoughby. But the lyrics are not the only selling point of Primus.

Their music is definitely what sets Primus apart from the mainstream, and, in fact, from themselves. The Brown Album changes Primus' sound somewhat radically, with warm analog-sounding instruments. The music is also sounding a little more wacked out than usual. I mean, I love Primus, but on some songs, it's pretty much one riff repeated over and over, and, to be honest, that doesn't do it for me. Many of the songs sound like they should have been on Les' solo album (actually, some do sound like songs off Claypool's solo album). I myself would like to see a return to classic Primus, with notable song parts and rhythm guitar, like "Tommy the Cat" or "John the Fisherman".

Not that this album is all bad, though. It has a few tracks that might actually beat out the popularity of "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver", the hit from the last album. Those tracks are the first single, "Shake Hands With Beef", "Golden Boy", "Bob's Party Time Lounge", and the speed-metallish "Coddingtown".

A special note for all you vinyl freaks: the Brown Album is being released in limited quantities on double vinyl, to preserve the record's all-analog sound.

So, for fans like me, who love classic Primus, this album is awkward to listen to at first, but Les, Ler and new drummer Brain have chalked up another fantastic album. It's really brown.