CROCK - Grok (LP+mp3) (LP)

Coming from the brilliant minds of Quasi's Sam Coomes and Hella's Spencer Seim, Crock's debut record "Grok" is the end product of several years of refined collaboration, and truly a sound and vision unlike any other. Amid all the electronic fragments, outsider doom riffs and dozens of other sounds racing by, at the center of the songs are the signature sounds of either of the creators. Coomes' instantly-recognizable vocal harmonies push some of the best songs from prog-freak out territory into the realm of Beatles-y pop wonder. The spazzy, sputtering drum work by Seim is not only on par with the best Hella moments, but serves as an anchor to the trails of sometimes blissful, sometimes crazed composition shooting off in all directions.