This five-piece from Bethlehem (Pa.) often sounds like a small orchestra. And no, this is not a greatest hits album or anything like that. The title is more about the tin pan alley-on-acid sound that permeates this set. It's easy to hear the Tom Waits influence, but TWTTE is far more sinewy and a bit less mordant.

This Way to the Egress Retrospectiva! (self-released)

Okay, so the songs have titles like "Gravedigger" and "Skin and Bones", but no matter the subject matter of the song, the music continues to whirl its merry way. Indeed, the loopy, unflagging performances are the biggest appeal. So, y'know, perhaps Waits by way of They Might Be Giants (or maybe that's just the accordion).

Does it all work? Well, not as a piece. The production sound varies widely from song to song (which is pretty strange), and I can't tell if that is intentional or I got a copy that didn't have final masters. Given the style, I have no idea which is true. And in the end, I simply let the music occupy my mind and everything was fine.

This is goofy, but not terribly eccentric. The band blasts its way through the 13 songs here with abandon. And that enthusiasm is what makes this album so refreshing. Give TWTTE an inch and it will explain string theory. I'm smitten.

Jon Worley