Timmy’s Organism
Heartless Heathen
Third Man Records
Detroit psychedelic punk skuzz artist Tim Lampinen (Timmy Vulgar, he’s more commonly known as) has been making provocative noise for decades under various monikers (The Clone Defects, Human Eye, Epileptix). His latest release of monstrous shreds, shrieks, and synth sounds comes under the name Timmy’s Organism and it’s a scorcher.
Released on Third Man Records, Heartless Heathen, is a genre orgy that throws punk, psychedelia, spacey garage rock, Motown, and art rock onto a bed made of flowers and garbage. It’s loud, chaotic, and often times confusing to the ears, yet – like a tab of acid kicking in – once you relax into it, it’s a delicious ride. If a bumpy one.
“Get Up, Get Out” blows open the album with a 2 minute song that instructs Break free from your sorrow/ Get out now/ time is wasted/ and be free. It’s as good an introduction to the unadulterated greasey sleaze rock that follows as any. “Heartless Heathen,” “Mental Boy,” and “Wounded White Dove” deliver more distortion filled, brain benders, but it’s the left field moments of spotlight dancing that really blow my mind. “Please Don’t Be Going” feels like a 50’s soul pop tune sung by Glenn Danzig. There’s a Misfits (post Danzig) cover album called Project 1950 on which they cover songs like “You Belong to Me” and “Donna.” This song reminds of that, and it’s spectacular. “My Angel Above” is another beautiful oddity, with it’s pretty acoustic melody and folk singer vocals that eventually warps into a full on spacey freak out complete with, what sounds like, bongos.
This record is so unabashedly out there – it shoots for the moon and ends up somewhere in the next galaxy.
