Shamelessly Exciting

Jason Forrest's last album (The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash) was a conceptual journey through electronic mash-ups and sampled soundscapes that left you breathless. So naturally, I had high expectations for this album as well. And while it does deliver the goods, it is more of a singles collection than a cohesive album. "My 36 Favorite Punk Songs," a mash-up of punk riffs that makes you feel really good about recognizing each one, and "War Photographer" with its blazing guitar solos and trumpet bursts (see the video also) make up the highlight of the record. "Nightclothes and Headphones" is Forrest's first foray into a pop format with a female vocalist and restrained electronic flourishes that ends up sounding well crafted but a bit stale. All in all "Shamlessly Exciting" is a wonderful collection of songs, but as an album it could have done so much more.