Moonlight Over Bakersfield

For decades, Lars Finberg has been on the quirky periphery of the West Coast's garage and punk scenes, leading the Intelligence and performing with the A Frames, Wounded Lion, and the Oh Sees. As an artist who specializes in oddities, it makes sense that his solo debut is full of them. On Moonlight Over Bakersfield, he branches out a little from his punk legacy: Acoustic strumming kicks off "Permanent Prowl," a song full of cryptic reflections and increasingly feral saxophone. Even though it's not an obvious fit with his other projects, it's unmistakably Finberg with its wry humor and mellow dread; the title of another song, "Benevolent Panic," sums up his aesthetic perfectly. Elsewhere, Moonlight Over Bakersfield feels like a lost Intelligence album. The self-referential torrents of distortion on "Ambiverts" and the gurgling keyboards and primal beats on "Myopic Blue Heaven" and "I'm Welcome" could've appeared on Icky Baby. While the album doesn't reach the mordantly witty heights of 2015's excellent Intelligence set Vintage Future, Finberg still finds time to include some social commentary. He skewers capitalism and health care on "Empty Network," consumerism on "Born Shopping" (which features an engaging lead vocal from Gal Pals' Lauren Marie Mikus) and the isolation of modern society on "Alone Alas" with the deadpan wit fans have come to expect. All in all, it's another fun set of songs from a musician who helps keep the underground weird. ~ Heather Phares