Red Krayola, Hazel (side A)

Like so many Red Krayola albums, 1996's Hazel is a diverse and confusing listen. After 1994's relatively straightforward (by the group's standards) Red Krayola, Hazel marks a gradual return toward chaos, in part because it employs a larger and more varied set of musicians. Some songs have energy and propulsion, while others are acoustic and folk-y. Some are well-recorded, while others have obvious flaws (including a moment of very exaggerated and unwelcome sibilance). It's not quite as perverse as Fingerpainting, which followed it, and it still has enough of Mayo's beloved "cheesy bits" to seem engaging through the detachment. It's less fun than Kangaroo?, but nowhere near as off-putting as Coconut Hotel. The strange cover image somehow fits the music, but the bland font seems less appropriate.