Scott C. Park describes his music as "slampy". Perhaps this is a Britishism I'm unfamiliar with, or maybe it's his own term. Given the general inventiveness of the songs, I'm tending to think the latter. Either way, he spins out track after track of solid, surprisingly fuzzy garage pop.

Scott C. Park Revival (self-released)

Led by an incongruously level-pinning guitar, Park's songs move along quickly and also feature slide guitar, keyboards in every style and even a bit of fiddle. That instrumentation has led a couple of reviewers to call this "folk" music. Maybe across the pond, but not over here. We have a long tradition of folks who can mix punk, pop and this sort of instrumentation and whip up some lovely divinity.

The kinetic insistence of these songs is perhaps their most obvious connective tissue. Park isn't particularly interested in repeating himself, and so he doesn't. Anyone who can move from Marshall Crenshaw to De La Soul (and easily combine the two) without the slightest hesitation has both vision and skill. Almost all of this is criminally understated, but that's all part of the charm.

This is one of those idiosyncratic suckers that feels like it might have staying power. These songs keep building until the bottom falls out. Park isn't interested in servicing your preconceptions, so I'd advise leaving them at the door. The sounds within are enchantment enough.

Jon Worley