The Baseball Astrologer, Famine of the Soul (side A)

Douglas Berman, the Baseball Astrologer, narrates in a distinctive style of long-form poetry that sometimes borders on prose.  1999's Famine of the Soul alternates short solo poems, which are more narrative in nature, with duets with guitarist Steven Wray Lobdell.  Lobdell is known for his work in groups like David Redford Triad and Sufi Mind Game, and he also played guitar with a line-up of Faust in the 90s.  The poems which Lobdell accompanies have a more performative aspect, with repetition and more fragmented phrases to match the guitar lines.  Lobdell's playing here falls somewhere between the delicate tendencies of his solo album and the noiser and more chaotic wails of Davis Redford Triad.  The influence of 60s psychedelia on his work is obvious.  There is a hint of paranoia about world affairs in Berman's recitations, but the stories emphasize his distinctive persona over any clear world-view—his delivery suits this combination well, especially when he interacts with Lobdell's dark guitar playing.  The lo-fi sound quality, which seems to have been made on a cheap cassette 4-track, places the album squarely in the 90s when it was made.  The amazing packaging features an image of a painting glued to the reverse-stock black cover, with a 70s baseball card (mine is Tim Foli, 1974) glued to the back.