Imagine the 13th Floor Elevators reimagined by Jesus and Mary Chain and run through just about every guitar pedal in existence. Bryan Lee Brown does not work quickly (this set has been in the works for more than 13 years), but all that detail work pays off immensely.

Dark Brown American Instrument (self-released)

Brown works with the likes of Dick Dale, Donita Sparks, Alfredo Ortiz, Brad Wilk and many more. By and large the longer pieces are spaced out by drum-centered interludes. Indeed, while this album is notable for its spacey guitar-centric sound, Brown is a percussionist, and the pieces here focus on how rhythm drives and defines music.

This is not put-the-top-down music, unless you happen to be hauling through the Painted Desert at sunset. These songs easily engage in conversations and stimulate many brain centers. While I'm sure this would be a fine soundtrack for an epic trip, the music itself is so hallucinogenic that outside assistance is not required.

From the very start, Brown heads into the outer realms. The intricate guitar work throughout is mind-bending. The rhythms are divine. Somehow these songs escape sounding didactic and simply inspire. Lovely, propulsive and synapse-bending, there are few albums this year that have tried so hard and accomplished so much.

Jon Worley