AMG Review of Physical Angel

Rick Anderson
All Music Guide

The Planet The's studied goofiness could be really annoying if it weren't so obvious that they're having an absolute blast. They've been referred to as "situationist prog rockers" in their hometown press, and that's about as good a description as any; you could rephrase that assessment, if you wanted, and call them Portland, OR's answer to early Pere Ubu. On this skimpy (total time: 27:23) ten-track album, singer and guitarist Charles Salas yelps, warbles, and mutters while his two compadres give up the herky-jerky new wave funk ("Toledo Vader"), the off-kilter proto-math rock ("Man Called Wife," "High School Hands"), and the vocoder-driven faux-retro-cheesiness ("Arty Movie") with equal parts abandon and aplomb. Everything sounds just a little bit off-balance and accidental, and that's a big part of this album's charm. Listen hard and you'll catch some of the lyrics, and you won't be disappointed. Recommended.