Cereal Banter’s “Lights Lights Lights” is one of those albums that are hard to pigeonhole into any genre. It has been described as avant-garde, neo-psychedelic and noise-jazz. The truth is that the dynamic duo of Molly McKay and Joseph Rafidi has created something unique. Songs that begin almost ethereally quickly take surprising turns – sometimes soothing, sometimes jarring but always apparently purposeful.

Drums and keyboard are the heart and soul of the music. Rafidi’s drums are furious and unpredictable, and the minimalistic sounds around them allow them to take up room on each track and draw you in. Conversely, McKay’s flittering and airy keyboard darts around the aural peripherals, teasing and taunting, making you want to keep listening if only to hear what happens next.

The CD is composed of seven tracks, each one alternately short or long. “Complex Prefix,” the shortest song on the album and one of the best titles ever, comes in at a mere 1:09 and is followed by “Splashy Mumbles” – a 9:12 Brobdingnagian delight.

For me, an added delight was in the song titles, themselves. After reading that track two was titled “Dancing with People’s Food From a Dog’s Point of View,” I went back and listened to the track over, trying to imagine the connection between the title and the music. Although I may just be completely insane, I felt like I understood what I was hearing just a wee bit more – no mean feat given the seeming randomness of the music. The same goes for the final track, “The Feeling You Get After a Merry Go-Round.” The question that lingered after that song, though, was what kind of merry go-round ride they were thinking of. Most of the times I remember being on one, my friends were spinning it maniacally while I clutched onto the center for dear life. The song seems more pleasant than that.

Overall, “Lights Lights Lights” is a solid release. It is definitely an acquired taste, some would argue well-worth acquiring, but fans of groups like The Boredoms or The Flaming Lips will love it.

This album is available on Bandcamp!

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