11 tracks. Running time 54:19 James Kirsch is General Fuzz. Cool Aberrations is his fourth album, the previous ones apparently being downtempo, whereas this one is uptempo and contains a lot of catchy tunes. The somewhat psychedelic and quirky cover art suggests that the music will be fun, and indeed it is. This is a collaborative effort with other musicians on guitars, bass, cello, flute, tabla, and vocals. I love the opening, but all too short, track called “Acclimate”. Pretty notes slowly form into a delightful melody while burbling percussion on the tabla and then drum programming form a pleasing rhythm. The effect becomes quite hypnotic as counterpointed melodies harmonically stutter and ripple around the soundscape. Most of the album is uptempo with positive melodic vibes, plus there's even some jazz and funk. But as the album progresses towards the end the mood becomes mellow, culminating in the final track “Acoustic Junction” which is a laid back mixture of piano and guitar. The piece “The Grenabler” is where the style departs from melodic EM. Beginning with electronic cries rising and falling like distant sirens it then bursts into a funky rhythmic passage where guitar, bass, and something like electric piano vie to make the best grooves. It's like listening to a jam session where the music is free flowing and sounds more improvisational than composed. The atmosphere on this piece brought to mind 1970s American TV shows; you could imagine this being the soundtrack to one of them. In the penultimate track “Reflective Moment” the textures are pared down to a few essential elements. Sparse piano notes and ripping effects lead into electronic melody and rhythm then take a back seat. Hand beaten drum percussion and cello pads fill out the piece and provide opposing tempos. Don't let the cover art of Cool Aberrations put you off. It's an album full of cool tunes that will have you smiling and tapping your feet in pure enjoyment.