David Pattillo is here to remind all of us that rock and roll is fun, goddamnit! He'll let the dinosaurs be all earnest and such. He just wants to write songs that kick some ass and leave smiles in their wake.

Strange Majik 20/20 (self-released)

Which is not to say he isn't paying attention. There is a song called "World on Fire," and it's fine. But coming on the heels of the sublimely fuzzed-out, blissfully horn-laden "Lo-Fi Hi," "WoF" almost disappears. It's also one of the more "modern" tracks on the album, utilizing a lot more techno-ish electronics. Pattillo is at his best whipping out epochal riffage set roughly into all sorts of window dressing.

The connection to ELO shouldn't be missed. I mean, there is his nom de plume. And like Jeff Lynne, Pattillo does most (if not all) of the work himself. The songs themselves sound out of time. There are nods to psychedelia from just about every era, guitar work that pretty much sums up the second half of the twentieth century and an impressive ability to find the right song structure for each song. That last thing shouldn't be ignored. Pattillo is just as comfortable laying down the blues as he is conducting a psychedelic symphony.

Which is to say that there isn't a Strange Majik sound. This sucker is all over the place and then some. But damn, it's easy to identify the creator of these songs after a few notes. No one is putting together sounds this way right now, and I'd bet few are having as much fun. This bangs. Hard.

Jon Worley