Kristian Hoffman &
Eggbert Records

A duets album by this former keyboard player for NYC No Wavers The Mumps (as well as Congo Norvell), Hoffman enlists a treasure trove of talent to unleash the most epic of pop records you'll hear all year.

Produced by studio legend Earle Mankey (The Beach Boys, Concrete Blonde, The Runaways), this talented marvel who most recently served as musical director for Rufus Wainwright manages the bizarre feat of always sounding classically poppy, even if on several of these 17 tracks, he's not particularly catchy (a strange anomaly also befitting L.A. Art-Pop project Eleven). But given these few ill-fated transgressions, & is an otherwise flawlessly crafted, ornately embellished pop opera that does proud guests such as Van Dyke Parks, Paul Reubens (!), Lydia Lunch, Ann Magnuson, El Vez, Steven McDonald (Redd Kross), Stew (The Negro Problem) and Maria McKee.

-by Chris Uhl
Grade: A-