Stuffy/The Fuses - 'Join Me or Die!' (Wrath Records) Released 22/03/04

Something about Join Me or Die! just doesn’t quite hang right. I’d like to be able to say I like it, for several reasons. There’s an appealing ambitious streak underpinning many of the tracks, a wide-ranging eclecticism which sees the jazzy 'Sleeping' somehow comfortable next to krautpunker 'Friend', or the Hives-ish 'Veruca Salt' nestling snugly up to the folktronica of '2nd Best'. And, most refreshingly, there’s a sense of cheery enjoyment throughout in the vibrant playing of The Fuses and vocals from singing drummer and songwriter Stuffy G.

The problem is that, despite the enthusiastic experimentation, much of the album simply doesn’t work. From the first few moments, when the crushing, My Bloody Valentine-esque opening of “Evel Knievel” collapses into jerky post-punk, it’s clear that for all the influences Stuffy is keen to wear on his sleeve, he has precious little sense of dynamics, of how the various noises will sit together as a whole. Sadly, too, his vocals are often tragically misjudged. Whilst such a spirited performance certainly merits marks for effort, the shrill inelegance of it all becomes too much to bear. The album works best when both Stuffy and The Fuses keep it simple. “I Can See Yr. Machine” invokes Thirteen-era Blur and has a killer chorus, and the slow-burning “In the River” ends things on a high. Both songs rely on nothing more inventive than good tunes: perhaps Stuffy should master one trade before turning his attention to others.