Patrick Fleming doesn't really have a template for his work as Gloom Balloon. He clearly loves the music of the late 60s and early 70s, but his warbled singing makes everything just a bit twee. Oh, and then the whole Fiona Apple approach to album titles.

Gloom Balloon So Bergman Uses Bach to Get His Point Across, I Feel I Have Chosen Rock But at What a Cost (Grandphony)

The key is to marinate in the sound and let the surface melt away. Underneath, Fleming creates some really lovely stuff. Music, lyrics, you name it. Nothing is precious on this album. It's drop-dead gorgeous. Once you get past the wobble, of course.

Not many people can pull off simultaneous impressions of Burt Bacharach, Jeff Lynne and Daniel Johnston, but Fleming solves that puzzle with barely a sweat. Again, this is one of his most glorious albums--his moniker hardly seems appropriate--and lush expanses await.

There's no way to anticipate a Gloom Balloon album. Just experience it. If your heart is in need of a refill, there is ample fuel here. Smiles are on the way.

Jon Worley