It is fair to say that there is a great list that any reviewer will have firmly lodged in their head, which contains all the criteria by which an album is systematically examined, picked apart and then rated. It is also fair to say that one of the most prominent themes on this subconscious list is that of originality. Originality seems to be one of the most important things for many reviewers, encompassing all different forms of art, not just music. However, with more and more music becoming more and more accessible, the challenge becomes much harder to avoid sounding like a cheap rip-off of an already established band. Attempts to be original are regular. However, those that succeed are not. Taking all this into account, please welcome SNACK FAMILY to the stage and remember there is only a thin line between genius and madness.

Just to get us started, everything about this is weird: Artwork? Weird. SNACK FAMILY? Weird. "Pokie Eye"? Weird. If you roll all of that into one, it's distressingly bizarre. What does it actually sound like? Again, it's weird. But it's also cool, and just because it's weird doesn't mean it sounds bad. A weird, wacky & wonderful hodgepodge of Rock, Blues, and Stoner with a dash of the Avant-Garde is the closest one can come to accurately describing the musical enigma that is SNACK FAMILY.

The standout track is "No Reason", a slow, brooding track that sounds as though it's engulfed in a very thick fog. Andrew Plummer's vocals here are a masterclass of melancholy, barely changing in tone at all and backed up by minimal instrumentation. The live experience for "No Reason" would be intense to say the least.

"Lupine Kiss" and "Plastic Factory" carry a very bluesy vibe, with the saxophone accompaniment giving the feeling of sitting in some kind of post-apocalyptic nightclub drinking non-descript drinks of dazzling colour, while everything else is in black and white. Ok, that's quite specific, but it gets the idea across.

As mentioned earlier, the difference between genius and madness is very slight. From the bizarre genius of the opening tracks we come to the car crash of madness that is "Pokie Eye Poke Ya". The band has succeeded in producing an original work, and with the final track, has taken it just one step to far. Either this track is simply trying too hard or, and this is very plausible, it is intended to confuse and annoy musical squares such as myself. If the latter is the case then they have succeeded. Yet, in its own little way, even this track does have a sort of roguish charm to it. Expectations are null and void with these chaps, whilst I dislike the song itself, I can applaud the madness that it contains.

All in all however, this record is certainly a pretty interesting and fresh take. The CAPTAIN BEEFHEART comparisons have been laid out in full by just about anyone who has heard this band, and accurate and deserving they most certainly are. But the real question lies in how long a band can continue to produce music like this, while keeping it interesting, and not letting it become their 'shtick'. As with all things time will tell but if you fancy listening to something a bit different to all the boring repetitive crap other Rock bands are spewing out, give these guys a listen, you won't be disappointed.