Omar Rodriguez Lopez - 'Old Money' (Pinnacle) Released 26/01/09

View him as innovator or noise maker, it' still hard not to credit Omar Rodriguez Lopez with a degree of genius even if it so surrounded by madness. This guitarist’s work with former band At The Drive In led to some modern alt rock classics, while The Mars Volta have progressively pushed the boundaries of music through their mind melting mix of styles. Yet with The Mars Volta increasingly becoming a parody of prog-rock with its made up Spanish lyrics, the branching out of Lopez onto a solo record could come really at no better time. And I’m happy to report it’s a success.

Ignoring the vague conceptual background to the record (its something to do with children’s stories and night mares) there’s the usual diversity of music one expects from Lopez starting with familiar latino art-rock jazz on ‘The Power of Myth’. From here, however it becomes increasingly surreal. Recognisable guitar sounds effervescing into vibrations and oscillations that rate bizarre even on this guitarist’s previous nutty scale, as ‘Population Council’s Wet Dream’ demonstrates with some force.

Synthy-interludes, Mexican rhythms and maddening noises follow until ‘Trilateral Commission As Dinner Guests’ grabs itself the medal for the first piece of music ever to drive fear into the heart of this reviewer for its sheer insanity. Initially inconsolable, only the thought of alcohol slightly calming by ‘1921’ oddly conjuring the mental image of a distant Arabian market.

Even for hardened fans of Lopez, Old Money will still be a way out blast of an album. While the more conventional tracks such as ‘Family War Funding (Love Those Rothschilds)’ are some of his best pieces of guitar work, others prove Lopez a real orchestrator of sound; a dark wizard of sheer sonic chaos. A heavy and ever-so-slightly pretentious release to get your head around, it’s easily the most creative solo album for some time. So, whether master musician or maddening noise maker, ‘Old Money’ is in faultless form for you to judge for yourself.